STETSON WRIGHT FEATURE

At only 22 years old, Stetson Wright already holds five PRCA world champion titles. He won three consecutive all-around titles from 2019 through 2021, and he was world champion in bull riding in 2020 and saddle bronc in 2021. God willing, he’ll add more gold buckles to his collection this year. He is currently ranked number one in bull riding and number two in saddle bronc, meaning he’s also well on his way to earning his fourth all-around title.

It’s hard enough to reach the top of the rankings in any rodeo event, so reaching it in two seems nearly impossible. However, Stetson is eager to be both the best saddle bronc rider and bull rider the PRCA has ever seen.

As part of the so-called Wright family dynasty, which spans three generations and has produced five PRCA saddle bronc world champions, rodeo is in his blood. Stetson’s father is twotime world champion and 13-time NFR qualifier Cody Wright,

It makes going on the road a lot more fun when there’s five or six guys who want it just as bad as you do.

-STETSON WRIGHT

Photo: Rod Connor

Photo: Rod Connor

one of the greatest saddle bronc riders in PRCA history. While the years go by and the family grows, the Wright brothers and uncles continue to push the limits of what is possible in rodeo.

Now, Stetson is leading the way. He has not only lived up to the family name in saddle bronc, but he has also brought the family reputation for hard work and discipline to his bull riding career. It’s not an exaggeration to say he’s on track to become one of the most successful athletes in PRCA history.

Though the Wrights have been profiled in the New York Times and several documentaries, including 60 Minutes on CBS, Stetson doesn’t let it go to his head. As a result, he’s refreshingly grounded.

“The gold buckle is something we’ve always wanted,” he says. “But it for dang sure doesn’t mean you’re any better of a person than someone who doesn’t have one. That’s one thing we all learned before we even thought we wanted to rodeo.”

Photo: Christopher Thompson

PUTTING FAMILY FIRST

Growing up as rodeo royalty may seem like a lot of pressure, but Stetson doesn’t let other people’s expectations get to him. He describes his family life as “pretty awesome” and spends most weekends competing at PRCA events alongside his brothers and other members of the Wright clan. Traveling across the country in pursuit of high scores and paydays, they spend a lot of time on the road together.

“It’s hard on all of us because we got families back at home that we want to get back to,” Stetson says. “It makes going on the road a lot more fun when there’s five or six guys who want it just as bad as you do.”

While he’ll always support and respect his fellow broncriding family members, they’re still his biggest competition.

“I think the only disadvantage is riding against five or six guys that ride the exact same way as you,” he says lightheartedly.

The mere fact that he competes with his brothers fosters a sense of sibling rivalry. They often try to beat each other’s scores on specific horses.

“We’re definitely brothers, so we tease each other about who’s going to win each night. We always keep it pretty fun,” he says. “I think they get sick of me. But I’m kind of the jokester in the family. I like to tease them all the time, and they probably get tired of me.”

Fortunately, Stetson is justified in giving his brothers a good ribbing. With his 2022 saddle bronc season earnings totaling around $84,000 so far, he’s currently more than $20,000 ahead of the next highest-earning Wright. That would be his 24-year-old brother, two-time world champion Ryder Wright, who is currently ranked third.

He also competes against his 26-year-old brother Rusty Wright, who finished fourth in earnings in 2020, and 18-yearold Statler Wright, who recently began his PRCA career.

Photo: Kitts

Photo: Clay Guardipee

There’s also his uncle, 31-year-old Spencer Wright, who won the world title and Wrangler NFR average title in 2014, and his uncle-in-law CoBurn Bradshaw, who won the Wrangler NFR average in 2018. Uncles Jake Wright and Jesse Wright, who are twins, are also longtime PRCA competitors in saddle bronc.

Still, it’s all healthy competition.

“We dang for sure make sure we don’t knock each other’s confidence down,” he says. “My dad’s always taught us to stay even keel. Don’t ride the high or don’t ride the low. Just try to stay even keel.”

Stetson may not technically compete with his father, who is semi-retired from rodeo, but he has shown that he can still outdo his father. At the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo earlier this year, he broke his father’s arena record with a score of 91.5, just half a point higher than Cody’s score from 2011.

Breaking his own father’s record might be a significant achievement, but for Stetson, it’s cause for reflection. If he breaks his father’s record, there’s a sense he wants to feel confident that he earned it.

“He set that record ten years ago. So, I don’t know. Maybe the judges forgot about it,” he muses. “I’d have to watch the video to see if it was even a question, to see if I should be sharing it with him or he should still have it.”

It shows how seriously he takes his career. Even as he carves out his path in the PRCA, his father’s legacy guides him.

When Stetson’s not on the road, he and the rest of the Wrights stay busy with family. They might spend time working on their father’s 40 acres of property or helping out one of the brothers at their home.

He cherishes the time he spends with his daughter. He describes two-year-old Kingsley Rey as a “big personality” who likes horses and bulls.

“She always watches me every night that I’m up, and if I get bucked off, she’s the first one to say ‘Oh no!’ or get excited when I stay on,” he says.

Once I finally got back under control, it seems like I haven’t had one of those bad thoughts cross through my head.

-STETSON WRIGHT DOUBLING DOWN

Though he’s undoubtedly honoring his parents and living up the family name, his path deviates in that he competes in both saddle bronc and bull riding.

For Stetson, double the danger means double the rewards. Despite the family’s longtime dedication to saddle bronc, he knew he wanted to be an all-around champion early on.

It’s a rodeo athlete’s dream to compete at a professional level in any one event, so it’s especially impressive that Wright is a leading contender in two. Despite competing in two events at once, Wright remains steadfast. He may ride as many as three bucking horses and one bull, or three bulls and a horse, on a single night.

Photo: Rod Connor

Photo: Clay Guardipee

Although rodeo events are physically intense, he says the true rigor is in the mental game.

“That’s why a lot of guys have a hard time coming back from injuries. Because all they’re worried about is trying not to get hurt instead of riding,” he says.

This is something he knows firsthand. After injuring his jaw in 2019, he says he had difficulty bouncing back. It took a year and a half to restore his confidence fully.

“I was worried about not being able to provide for my daughter, and I started focusing on the wrong things and not why I loved it. Once I finally got back under control, it seems like I haven’t had one of those bad thoughts cross through my head,” he says.

These are all lessons he learned from his father.

“My dad always taught me it’s 90 percent mental, and the rest is in your head,” he says.

His father will always be his hero, no matter how much he earns or how many buckles he wins.

“Outside of being, in my opinion, one of the greatest bronc riders to ever live, he can teach it. Shoot, there’s seven to 10 gold buckles to prove that he’s the best teacher in the world,” he says. “That’s why I’ve always set out to be just like my dad.”