Stetson Wright’s goal: A trio of titles in 1 season
Over the course of the past three Wrangler National Finals Rodeos, Stetson Wright has sealed the deal on five gold buckles.
He’s won three straight all-around world championships. In 2020, he added the bull riding world title, and in 2021, he topped the world standings in saddle bronc riding — which should come as no surprise as the Wright family has been a force in saddle broncs pretty much this whole century.
But there’s one thing Wright hasn’t done and that he wants to do more than anything else: Win all three titles in the same season.
“That’s been on my mind since 2019. I’ve come up short a couple times, so it’s really eaten at me this year,” Wright said. “I feel like I’ve put myself in a better position this year. It’s more doable than it’s ever been for me. And I feel like I’m riding better than I ever have.”
The results bear it out. A fourth straight PRCA all-around title seems practically a given at this point. Wright entered the 2022 Wrangler NFR with a whopping $378,440 in qualifying all-around earnings. He’s more than $200,000 ahead of second-place Taylor Santos.
He’s No. 1 in the bull riding standings at $320,599 — about $92,000 ahead of No. 2 Josh Frost — and he’s No. 2 in saddle broncs at $193,120. That puts him about $60,000 behind No. 1 Sage Newman ($253,191). But with all of the money on the line this week at the Thomas &Mack Center, a couple of go-round wins could make up that ground in a hurry.
Last year, Wright came pretty close to the trifecta. He won the all-around and the saddle broncs and took third in bull riding.
Wright thinks he is got the formula to make it happen this year.
“Every cowboy’s goal is to win a world title. But I’m gonna show up and try to not even focus on the gold buckles — just treat every round like its own rodeo,” Wright said. “It can really wear on you if you think about it too much. I’m gonna try to empty out the negative in my mind and just have fun. That’s why I rodeo. It’s all fun to me — the training, the driving, the competing. I truly love everything about rodeo and what it’s given me.”
The 2022 regular season ended two months ago, and Wright has been striving to find the empty-out-the-negative/just-have-fun balance that he believes will lead to a historical effort.
“It’s all what you do before you show up in Las Vegas,” he said. “I did a lot of training the past couple of months. I’ve been working out, doing things to get my body right. Being physically ready is a big part of this. I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, I’m stronger and faster than I’ve ever been. That’s what’s gonna get me three buckles.”
And of course, there’s the between-the-ears part.
“Mentally, I have zero doubt about anything. I feel sharper mentally. Whether I win three titles or zero, I know I’ve done everything I could,” Wright said. “The doubt — asking that question: Did I do enough work? — I don’t have that feeling. In bull riding and bronc riding, I expect to ride all 10 head. And those aren’t empty thoughts. That’s truly what I believe.”
It’s worth keeping in mind that Wright is only 23 years old and that his first time at the NFR wasn’t that long ago, in 2019. He has chalked up an awful lot of championship-caliber experience in the past four years, which he plans to put to use over the 10 days of his fourth NFR.
“That experience has helped a lot,” Wright said. “In 2019, I didn’t know what to expect. But I won the first go in bull riding. In 2020, I won the first two rounds in bull riding.”
Those quick starts helped vault him to two straight all-around crowns and the 2020 bull riding world title.
“One of the worst things last year was thinking: How do I top my last two NFRs? The guy who showed up was so far from the Stetson Wright of 2019 and 2020 that it made me sick,” Wright said. “But I’m not a guy who makes excuses. I didn’t show up and do my job. That’s on me.”
Yet he still won the 2021 all-around and — coming from the First Family of saddle bronc riding — got that world championship too. The family ties helped: His dad, Cody, is a two-time saddle bronc world champ; brother Ryder, also competing in this year’s NFR, has two saddle bronc gold buckles; and uncles Jesse and Spencer Wright have a saddle bronc world title apiece.
“My family picked me up last year and changed my mindset,” Wright said. “I’m pretty dang lucky. I’ve got it going in every aspect of my life. And 100 percent of it is because of my family. I’d be nowhere near where I’m at in life or in my career without them. Family means everything.”
Now Wright just wants to make a little more family history — and make sure he enjoys the ride, figuratively and literally.
“Every NFR is a blessing,” he said. “I’m gonna go out there and have fun. It all still feels like a dream come true. And truthfully, it gets better every time.”