Rusty Wright Bumps Into the Family Affair at the 2020 San Angelo Rodeo

SAN ANGELO, TX — There was talk about generations during the 8th performance of the San Angelo rodeo on Saturday, Feb 8. Rusty Wright, who turned pro in 2014 and won the San Angelo rodeo 3 of last 5 years, earned an 84-point ride on a bucking horse called Help Your Self.

Rusty’s father, Cody, was crowned the saddle bronc world champion in the Wrangler National Finals in 2008 and 2010. All of Rusty’s uncles are competing in saddle bronc riding. His uncle Jesse was the saddle bronc champion during the 2012 Wrangler Finals Rodeo. He is currently just ahead of his nephew with an 84.5-point ride at this year's San Angelo rodeo. Another uncle, Spencer, was the saddle bronc world champion at the Wrangler Finals Rodeo in 2014. His brothers, Stetson and Ryder Wright are competing this year at the San Angelo rodeo. Stetson is a bull rider who leads the 2020 San Angelo rodeo so far with an 89-point ride.

Rusty Wright needed an 84.5 score to get into the top 5. He said his 84 was a solid score that should get him in the Short Go regardless. That is the final round of the rodeo on Friday.

Wright said he knew the horse from previous encounters his brothers had with it. “I knew it would buck hard, so I had to be read to do things right,” he said.

Here are the standings at the 2020 San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo as of the end of the performance on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020:

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Kody Lamb, 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Hometown Girl; 2. Leighton Berry, 87.5; 3. Austin Foss, 87; 4. Tim O’Connell, 86; 5. (tie) Richmond Champion and Taylor Broussard, 85; 7. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Chad Rutherford, 84; 9. (tie) Bill Tutor and Cauy Pool, 83.5; 11. Spur Lacasse, 82s.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Ty Erickson, 3.8 seconds; 2. Taz Olson, 3.9; 3. Stockton Graves, 4.1; 4. (tie) Tait Kvistad and Dalton Massey, 4.3; 6. (tie) Ryan McKay Nettle and Jacob Talley, 4.4; 8. (tie) Gary Gilbert and Jason Thomas, 4.5. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Cameron Morman and Matt Reeves, 3.9 seconds; 3. (tie) Chance Howard and Cade Staton, 4.0; 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge and Tanner Brunner, 4.1; 7. Jesse Brown, 4.2; 8. (tie) Sterling Lambert, Luke Branquinho and Cade Goodman, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. Matt Reeves, 8.7 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Tait Kvistad, Dalton Massey and Jacob Talley, 8.9; 5. Tanner Brunner, 9.2; 6. Cade Staton, 9.3; 7. (tie) Josh Clark and Cody Harmon, 9.4; 9. Ty Erickson, 9.6; 10. (tie) Taz Olson, Bridger Anderson and Jule Hazen, 9.7.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Spencer Mitchell/Cesar de la Cruz, 3.7 seconds; 2. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 3.8; 4. (tie) Laramie Allen/Whit Kitchens and Colton Campbell/Jordan Ketscher, 3.9; 6. Reno Cash Stoebner/Colton Brittain, 4.1; 7. Tanner Tomlinson/Coleby Payne, 4.2; 8. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett and Manny Equsquiza Jr./York Gill, 4.3. Second round leaders: 1. Jaxon Tucker/Jake Clay, 3.5 seconds; 2. Dustin Eguesquiza/Travis Graves, 3.7; 3. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 3.8; 4. (tie) Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham and Clint Summers/Douglas Rich, 3.9; 6. Trey Blackmore/Kory Bramwell, 4.0; 7. Jake Orman/Daniel Braman, 4.3; 8. (tie) Gavin Foster/Daniel Reed, Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, Steven Duby/Jason Duby and Laramie Allen/Whit Kitchens, 4.4. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Clay Smith/Jade Corkill and Laramie Allen/Whit Kitchens, 8.3; 3. Aaron Tsinigine/Kyle Lockett, 8.9; 4. Manny Equsquiza Jr./York Gill, 9.1; 5. Colton Campbell/Jordan Ketscher, 9.3; 6. Spencer Mitchell/Cesar de la Cruz, 9.9; 7. Cory Smothers/Brandon Gonzales, 10.0; 8. (tie) Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan and Kolton Schmidt/Hunter Koch, 10.4; 10. Jaguar Terrill/Travis Woodard, 11.8; 11. J.B. James Jr./Brock Hanson, 12.5; 12. Billy Bob Brown/Chad Williams, 12.9. 

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Zeke Thurston, 90 points on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Rising Tide; 2. Jacobs Crawley, 88; 3. Carter Elshere, 85.5; 4. Cody DeMoss, 85; 5. Jesse Wright, 84.5; 6. (tie) Kolby Wanchuk, Rusty Wright and Allen Boore, 84; 9. (tie) Tegan Smith and Spencer Wright, 83.5; 11. Leon Fountain, 83.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Lane Livingston, 7.2 seconds; 2. Shad Mayfield, 7.4; 3. (tie) Caleb Smidt and Bryson Sechrist, 7.5; 5. L.D. Meier, 7.7; 6. (tie) Blane Cox and Marcos Costa, 7.8; 8. Bo Pickett, 7.9. Second round leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 7.0 seconds; 2. Marty Yates, 7.1.; 3. (tie) Ike Fontenot and Riley Pruitt, 7.4; 5. Cooper Martin, 7.5; 6. (tie) Cory Solomon and Kincade Cullen Henry, 7.6; 8. (tie) Blane Cox and Luke Potter, 7.8. Average leaders: 1. Blane Cox, 15.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Caleb Smidt, 16.0; 3. (tie) Dakota Felton and Kincade Cullen Henry, 15.4; 5. (tie) Cooper Martin and Sterling Smith, 16.6; 7. Reid H. Zapalac, 16.7; 8. Jake Pratt, 16.8; 9. (tie) Bryson Sechrist and Stetson Vest,16,9; 11. Ty Harris, 17.0; 12. (tie) Reese Riemer and Monty Lewis, 17.1.

Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Tiany Schuster, 14.05 seconds; 2.Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.10; 3. Shannon McReynolds, 14.20; 4. (tie) Haley Wolfe and Ivy Conrado-Saebens, 14.26; 6. (tie) Kathy Grimes and Lindsay Sears, 14.27; 8. Lexie Goss, 14.30; 9. Carlee Otero, 14.32; 10. Kortney Kizer, 14.34. Average leaders: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 30.22 seconds; 2. Shannon McReynolds, 30.32; 3. Tiany Schuster, 30.35; 4. Emily Efurd, 30.42; 5. Lexie Goss, 30.48; 6. Ivy Conrado-Saebens, 30.49; 7. Lindsay Sears, 30.56; 8. Kathy Grimes, 30.57; 9. (tie) Ari-Anna Flynn and Lexi Burgess, 30.61; 11. Haley Wolfe, 30.62; 12. Kortney Kizer, 30.64.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Stetson Wright, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Candy Man; 2. Bayle Worden, 88.5; 3. Elliot Jacoby, 86.5; 4. (tie) Ty Wallace, Boudreaux Campbell and Parker Cole McCown, 84; 7. Jeston Mead, 83.5; 8. Trey Benton, 82.5; 9. (tie) Brody Yeary and Jeff Askey, 82; 11. (tie) Shane Proctor and Tyler Bingham, 81.

The next performance is Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.