FORT WORTH, Texas (January 27, 2017) – Wyatt Denny has been entering the bareback riding at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for three years.

The past two years, he left here empty-handed but grateful to ride in an arena where rodeo legends have competed for decades. This year, after qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December, things have changed for the Minden, Nevada, resident.

This year, he came to the Will Rogers Coliseum confident, healthy and ready to ride. He rode his first horse on Thursday night and then rode twice on Friday. His scores of 78.5, 79 and 84 points put him at the top of the overall standings with a total of 241.5. He leads Justin Miller from Billings, Montana, who has 237. Miller also rode here on Thursday and Friday.

“It’s pretty cool to walk around this building, see the old pictures and think about the guys that have ridden here before you,” Denny said. “They made this sport what it is and built it up so guys like us could have opportunities. It’s pretty amazing just to ride in the same building they did.”

Denny did more than just ride on Friday night. His 84-point ride on Dakota Rodeo’s Wolverine is leading the third round, and it wasn’t a ride that he was looking forward to.

“I knew that a lot of guys came off that horse at about six seconds,” he explained. “It’s really hard not to overthink things when you have a horse like that. I’ve changed some things since the finals and have really been working on my mental game. It’s all about having a fire in you and loving what you do. That is exactly where me and my traveling partners are right now.”

Unfortunately, his traveling partners, Clayton Biglow, from Clements, California, and Kash Wilson from Gooding, Idaho, weren’t as successful as Denny was. But they are planning a trip back here on Feb. 4 to watch their buddy try to win a championship.

There was a lead change in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel race on Friday afternoon. Amberleigh Moore from Keizer, Oregon, set the world on fire in Las Vegas at the NFR and again here on Friday. Riding her great mare CP Dark Moon “Paige,” Moore stopped the clock here in 16.62 seconds.


That is the fastest run of the rodeo so far. The dynamic duo entered last year’s NFR in the 15th and final spot. Then they earned $187,692 in Las Vegas to move to second place in the 2016 world standings. Moore describes her mare as being a perfectionist in the arena and that was evident here as well as in Las Vegas. With ninety more barrel racers still to compete here, her position may change. However, she is likely to get a check and will be among the top 70 that get to run in the second round.

Bayle Worden of Charleston, Texas, moved into the overall lead in bull riding Friday after a pair of 83.5-point rides. He rode Dakota Rodeo’s Salty Dog Friday afternoon to move into third in the first round and tallied another 83.5 Friday night on Dakota Rodeo’s Super Cella, which tied him for third place in the second round.

There are three performances at the rodeo on Saturday at 10 a.m., and 2 and 7:30 p.m.

-Information Courtesy of Susan Kanode