Saddle Bronc Newcomer Scores Big Win at Washington State Fair

Ryder Sanford’s ascent in saddle bronc riding has been swift, to say the least.

In 2022, he won just $4,081 and finished in 124th place in the event.

Now?

He’s coming off his biggest win of the season, a $13,000 payday in the finals at the Washington State Fair Pro Rodeo.

Sanford claimed the payday while riding Dandy Delight, as his final score of 89 broke a four-way, sudden-death final.

The 25-year-old Sulphur, La., native is working his way into position for the National Finals Rodeo in the event.

After entering the event at No. 19 in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $100,373 in winnings, he now carries more than $113,000 winnings into his next event.

Not that he would know where he stands. He told prorodeo.com that he’s not looking at the standings.

"My game plan this past month is that I haven't looked at the world standings and that's going to continue to be my game plan," Sanford said.

The victory also came with a bonus — an invitation to the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D., from Sept. 28-30. The event carries a $1.1 million purse and comes on the last weekend of the official PRCA season. It’s also historic in the context of rodeo in the state of South Dakota, as it will be the richest rodeo in the state’s history.

His finish in Sioux Falls could help determine whether Sanford makes it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December.

Even if he doesn’t get there, it’s been a successful 2023 for Sanford. The victory in Pullayup, Wash., was his sixth outright title of the season, adding to titles he won at the Trinity Valley Exposition Fair & Rodeo (Liberty, Texas), the Southeastern Circuit Finals (Davie, Fla.), the Deep South PRCA Rodeo (Winnsboro, La.), the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days and the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo (Abilene, Kan.).