Waller County Rodeo: Who Got Into Houston?

One of the first rodeos in the new season, Waller County Rodeo, wrapped up in Hempstead, Texas Saturday night. For many competitors this was their first chance to add to the 2024 earnings and a chance to qualify for the Houston Rodeo in March.

Each event winner from both Hempstead and Rosenburg get an automatic entry into Houston. For contestants that did not finish in the top of the 2023 standings, this is one of their only ways to compete for the $50,000 payout in Houston.

Chet Weitz won the all around, competing in both the calf roping and the team roping. This all around win was just what the Texas native wanted at the beginning of the season to get the ball rolling.

Two-time NFR qualifier, Garrett Shadbolt, won the bareback riding on Pete Carr's Paint The Town with an 85.5 points. Lane McGehee and Brayze Schill split second place with 83.5 points.

Cole Walker won the dog fight in the steer wrestling with a 3.4-second run. Behind Walker, world champion Tyler Pearson won second with 3.6-seconds. Kodie Jang, Talon Roseland and Boyd Sawyer all split third place with 3.8-seconds.

Youngsters Kreece Thompson and Rance Doyal took the win in the team roping with a 4.0-second run. One-tenth of a second was the difference in first all the way through fifth place. Second through fifth was split between Lightning Aguilera/Jonathan Torres, Cyle Denison/Dustin Davis, Jake Orman/Corey Hendrick and Cody Snow/Ross Ashford all turning in a 4.1-second run.

Cort Scheer won the saddle bronc riding with an 82.5-point ride on Pete Carr's No. 800x. Tegan Smith was 81.5 points for second, and Roper Kiesner won third with an 81-point ride.

NFR qualifier, John Douch, was 8.0 seconds to win first in the calf roping. Right on Douch's heels was all-around champion Chet Weitz with 8.1 seconds. Riley Webb, who leads the march to the 2023 NFR, also placed in the calf roping with a 9.1-second run.

Grace Gardiner got the win in barrel racing and also punched her ticket to Houston with a 15.28-second run. Shelley Morgan won second with a 15.31-second run. Third place went to Lindsay Sears, 15.44-seconds.

In the bull riding, Clayton Sellars rode Pete Carr's Bruised Kitty for an astounding 87.5 points. Falling short of the 2023 NFR, Sellers is on a mission early in the season to make a comeback in 2024. In second place, Shawn Bennett was 85 points, and Colton Kelly was 82.5 points for third.