Local favorite Brody Cress of nearby Hillsdale won Semi Final 2 of saddle bronc riding at Cheyenne Frontier Days with 89.5 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s horse Devils Advocate. He will be aiming for the CFD record books on Championship Sunday when he tries to become the only cowboy since CFD began in 1897 to win four saddle bronc riding titles. CFD photo by Laura Storey
Cress
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — With the conclusion of Semi Finals 2 at the 2025 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, field is set for Championship Sunday. The last contestants for this year’s final round were determined on the National Day of the Cowboy at Frontier Park.
Three-time CFD champion Brody Cress, who is from nearby Hillsdale and graduated from high school in Cheyenne, earned the chance to try to become the first saddle bronc rider since 1887 to win four championships at the “Daddy of ’em All.” Cress scored 89.5 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s horse named Devils Advocate to win the semifinals. He bested another Brody from Wyoming, Brody Wells from Powell, by just half a point.
Local favorite Brody Cress of nearby Hillsdale won Semi Final 2 of saddle bronc riding at Cheyenne Frontier Days with 89.5 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s horse Devils Advocate. He will be aiming for the CFD record books on Championship Sunday when he tries to become the only cowboy since CFD began in 1897 to win four saddle bronc riding titles. CFD photo by Laura StoreyCress
The highest score in bareback riding at Frontier Park this year went to world standings leader Rocker Steiner. Steiner, who lives in Weatherford, Texas, rode Dakota Rodeo’s horse called Native Lights for 92 points, just one point shy of the record set back in 1974 by three-time CFD champion Joe Alexander. Neither Steiner’s grandfather or father managed to win a championship here in their specialties (bull riding and steer wrestling, respectively), so he could accomplish a first for his storied rodeo family should he win on Sunday.
Former world champion tie-down roper Tyson Durfey stepped away from full-time rodeo a few years ago to concentrate on his coaching business. He qualified for his 14th National Finals Rodeo in 2020 and five years later looks like he hasn’t missed a step. He roped his calf in 9.6 seconds to win Semi Final 2 and match the fastest time of this year’s rodeo set by Nebraska’s Riley Pruitt in the qualifying round. Pruitt won Semi Final 1 and will be among tomorrow’s ropers along with Durfey.
Jordi Edens-Mitchell, daughter of NFR team roper Tommy Edens, qualified for the National Finals Breakaway Roping in 2022. Since then, she married a team roper, changed her name and had a baby. Her breakaway roping time of 4.9 seconds won the semifinals and advanced her to Sunday’s championship round.
Four former CFD champions compete in the team roping on Saturday and all four advanced to the championship round. Billy Bob Brown, who won the heading title in 2016, tied for first in Semi Final 2 roping with fellow Texan Blaine Vick. Their time of 10.6 was matched by a pair of Oklahomans, Ryon Boatright and Jett Hillman. Another pair of Oklahomans, Bubba Buckaloo and 2018 CFD heeling champion Joseph Harrison finished third. South Carolina’s Luke Brown, 2015 champion header, and his partner Trey Yates, 2019 champion heeler, finished fourth.
Garrett Oates of Huntsville, Texas, notched the biggest win so far of his rookie season in pro rodeo by winning Semi Final 2 in steer wrestling with a time of 6.0 seconds. He is currently second in the rookie standings, but a strong finish on Sunday could help him reach No. 1.
Michelle Alley of Madisonville, Texas, bested three former CFD champions to win the barrel racing with a time of 17.09 seconds riding Lipstick N Stillettos, a mare she trained. Two of those former champions, 18-time NFR qualifier Lisa Lockhart and three-time world champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, also advanced.
Bull rider Gavin Mitchell of Graford, Texas, earned $5,200 when he rode Dakota Rodeo’s bull named The Judge for 88.5 points to win the semifinals.
The rookie saddle bronc riding, a tradition at the “Daddy of ’em All” since 1911 concluded Saturday and Josue Molina became the first Mexican cowboy to win a championship in Frontier Park. The 22-year-old from Juarez in Chihuahua scored a total of 159 on two horses to win the event.
For the 129th time Cheyenne Frontier Days will crown champions on Sunday with the championship performance beginning at 12:45 p.m.
The following are unofficial results from the Semi Finals (seventh performance) at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Saturday, July 25. Top six in each event advance to Championship Sunday.
Bareback Riding: 1, Rocker Steiner, Weatherford, Texas, 92 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Native Lights, $3,441. 2, Kade Berry, Stephenville, Texas, 88, $2,606. 3, Cole Franks, Clarendon, Texas, 87, $1,877. 4, (tie) Jayco Roper, Oktaha, Okla., and Quintonn Lunsford, McCune, Kan., 86.5, $991 each. 6, (tie) Richmond Champion, Stevensville, Mont., and Waylon Bourgeois, Church Point, La.. 86, $261 each.
Tie Down Roping: 1, Tyson Durfey, Brock, Texas, 9.3 seconds, $5,200. 2, Ty Moser, Volga, S.D., 10.7, $4,300. 3, (tie) Kyan Wilhite, Clovis, N.M., and Pecos Tatum, La Plata, N.M., 11.0, $ 2,950 each. 5, Tripp Brown, Kenansville, Fla., 12.2, $1,600. 6, Jarvis Demery, Beggs, Okla., 12.3, $900.
Breakaway Roping: 1, Jordi Edens-Mitchell, Stephenville, Texas, 4.9 seconds, $6,510. 2, Shy-Anne Jarrett, Comanche, Okla., 5.4, $4,932. 3, Danielle Lowman, Gilbert, Ariz., 5.8, $3,551. 4, Brooke Bruner, Parker, Colo., 5.9, $2,367. 5, Sequin Brewer, Union City, Okla., 6.6, $1,381. 6, Maddy Dearman, Hope, N.M., 6.8, $986.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 89.5 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s Devils Advocate, $3,416. 2, Brody Wells, Powell, Wyo., 89, $2,588. 3, (tie) Waitley Sharon, Ordway, Colo., and Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, 87, $1,553 each. 6, Statler Wright, Beaver, Utah, 85.5, $518.
Team Roping: (five times) 1, (tie) Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Blaine Vick, Breckenridge, Texas; and Ryon Boatright, Mulhall, Okla., and Jett Hillman, Perry, Okla., 10.6 seconds, $4,930 each. 3, Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and Joseph Harrison, Marietta, Okla., 11.9, $3,580 each. 4, Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo, 12.1, $2,680 each. 5, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alberta, Canada, 15.6, $1,780 each. (Kyle Polich, Cortez, Colo., and T.J. Watts, Eads, Colo., also advance from Semi Final 1.)
Steer Wrestling: 1, Garrett Oates, Huntsville, Texas, 6.0, $4,060. 2, Trisyn Kalawaia, Hilo, Hawaii, 6.2, $3,360. 3, Tristan Martin, Sulphur, La., 6.3, $2,660. 4, Joe Nelson, Watford City, N.D., 6.5, $1,960. 5, Jacob Edler, Alva, Okla., 6.6, $1,260. 6, (tie) Colten Leech, Chico, Texas, and Nathan Duvall, Hitchita, Okla., 7.7, $350 each. (Leech advances on tiebreaker.)
Barrel Racing: 1, Michelle Alley, Madisonville, Texas., 17.09 seconds, $5,410. 2, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 17.21, $4,477. 3, Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi, Lampasas, Texas, 17.33, $3,544. 4, Bristan McCarley, Happy, Texas, 17.35, $2,611. 5, Tayla Moeykens, Three Forks, Mont., 17.55, $1,679. 6, Hadley Tidwell, La Luz, N.M., 17.62, $933.
Bull Riding: 1, Gavin Mitchell, Graford, Texas, 88.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s The Judge, $5,200. 2, Robbie Taylor, Chinle, Ariz., 87, $4,300. 3, Ernie Courson, Jr., Okeechobee, Fla., 86, $3,400. 4, Qynn Anderson, Koumala, Queensland, Australia, 85.5, $2,500. 5, Jesse Petri, Dublin, Texas, 83.5. $1,600. 6, Mason Spain, Forney, Texas, 82.5, $900.
Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding: (second round winners) 1, Ty Brenna, Keene, N.D., 82 points on Smith Pro Rodeo’s 180, $1,242. 2, Josue Molina, Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico,, 80, $941. 3, (tie) Tayson Jones, Howes, S.D., and Mitchell Story, Bayfield, Colo., 79, $564 each. 5, Jase Stout, Bayfield, Colo., 77, $263. 6, Tag Moses, Keenesburg, Colo., 76.5, $188. (overall winners) 1, Molina, 159, $1,242. 2, (tie) Story, 157, $941. 3, Logan Nunn, Lovell, Wyo., and Moses, 153.5, $564 each. 5, Izaah Bartels, New Underwood, S.D., 153, $263. 6, (tie) Jasper Frost, Browns Valley, Calif., and Stout, 152. $94 each.
Wild Horse Race: 1, Crazy Horse, $600. 2, /M Ranch, $450. 3, Gotta Go, $300. 4, Young Gunz, $150.
Steer Roping: (first round winners) 1, Thomas Smith, Barnsdall, Okla., 13.1, $6,941. 2, Blake Deckard, Eufaula, Okla., 14.0, $6,036. 3, Tuff Hardman, Atoka, Okla., 14.7, $5,131. 4, Kelton McMillen, Weatherford, Okla., 15.0, $4,225. 5, Brodie Poppino, Big Cabin, Okla., 15.3, $3,320. 6, (tie) Billy Good, Wynnewood, Okla.; Jesse Stipes, Salina, Okla., and Cash Fretwell, Pleasanton, Texas, 16.1, $1,056 each.
(second round winners) 1, Riley O’Rourke, Skiatook, Okla., 12.0 seconds, $6,941. 2, Troy Tillard, Douglas, Wyo.,12.2, $6,036. 3, Cash Myers, Kaufman, Texas, 12.4, $5,131. 4, Clay Long, Stephenville, Texas, 12.5, $4,225. 5, Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla.,13.3, $3,320. 6, (tie) Mike Chase, McAlester, Okla.; Tony Reina, Wharton, Texas; and Ryan Rochitz, Pine Bluffs, Wyo., 13.4, $1,509 each.
(finals qualifiers) 1, Deckard. 2, Clay Long, Stephenville, Texas. 3, Poppino. 4, Jake Clay, Sapulpa, Okla., 5, Roger Nonella, Redmond, Ore. 6, Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas. 7, Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas. 8, Ty Williams, Sulphur, Okla. 9, Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kansas. 10, Tuff Hardman. 11, Dalton Walker, Clyde, Texas. 12, Chris Pearson, Broken Bow, Neb.
