Top 5 Moments from the 2019 San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo

SAN ANGELO, TX -- The 87th annual San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo lived up to its billing as a top five rodeo in the world over the last three weeks.

Cowboys and cowgirls descended on the Concho Valley on Feb. 1 with hopes of bolstering their winter runs, which can set them up to make it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas come December.

With the rodeo over with for another year, we wanted to count down the top five storylines the rodeo gave in 2019.

5. Aaron Williams Makes his Name With 89-Point Ride; Tequila Worm Steals Bull Riding Show

[[{"fid":"53866","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"1"}}]]Above: Aaron Williams talks about his 89-point ride that gave him a spot in the short go and the first round lead.

Aaron Williams, a Pismo Beach, Calif., native, was having a rough go as 2019 began. Through nine attempts in the calendar year, Williams had just one ride over 85 points.

He changed his luck during the night cap on the first Saturday of this year's rodeo. Williams drew Pete Carr's Tequila Worm and rode him for 89 points and the top spot in the long round of the rodeo.

“It just felt really good get a bull that caliber rode like I know I can and to prove to people that I’m here to stay," Williams said after the ride. "You can match me up with these dragons, so to speak, and I’m gonna slay ‘em.”

It wasn't the last time the crowd at the San Angelo Rodeo would see of Tequila Worm, though.

The bull was in the final pen for the short go and fellow Californian Jordan Wacey Spears drew the bull that had only been ridden three times prior.

Spears took the bull to the pay window for his first San Angelo title with an 88.5-point ride.

[[{"fid":"54672","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"2"}}]]Above: Jordan Wacey Spears talks about his first-ever San Angelo win.

4. Despite "Slowing Down," Trevor Brazile Still Sets the Standard

[[{"fid":"54673","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"3":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"3"}}]]Above: Trevor Brazile talks about his second run in tie down roping that tied the lead at the San Angelo Rodeo.

Trevor Brazile announced he was stepping away from full time rodeo just before the National Finals in 2018. While that has been referred to as "slowing down," the 42-year-old proved he still sets the standard.

The 24-time world champion came to San Angelo with the same winning mindset as his previous 23 years on the PRCA circuit. That put him top of the leader board with a combined 15.2 seconds on two runs.

However, a 10.8-second run in the championship left the Decatur-based cowboy in fourth place in the average. But, with $7,394 in tie down and team roping, Brazile claimed his third all around title and fifth overall win at San Angelo.

Brazile's tie down runs forced the hand of eventual champ Michael Otero, who claimed his first San Angelo title with a combined time of 23 seconds on three runs.

[[{"fid":"54676","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"4":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"4"}}]]Above: Michael Otero talks about his championship run in San Angelo.

3. Barrel Racers Scorch Arena Floor

After the Jan. 23 first go in the1st Community Federal Credit Union Spur Arena, cowgirls took to the coliseum with a blistering fast pace.

Nicole Love set the bar high in the fourth performance of the rodeo. The Mississippi cowgirl circled the barrels in 14.08 seconds, a time that didn't seem like it would be beaten.

[[{"fid":"53907","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"5":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"5"}}]] Above: Nicole Love talks about her run in San Angelo to take the lead.

Love ran a 14.3-second run in the finals to leave the door open.

Jill Tanner blew that door wide open with a 13.81-second run in the finals to claim the win with a combined time a 44.36 seconds. Her run in the finals was two-tenths of a second off the arena record.

[[{"fid":"54677","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"6":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"6"}}]] Above: Jill Tanner and her daughter talk about winning San Angelo

2. Bennett Breaks San Angelo Record en route to First Angelo Win

[[{"fid":"54605","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"7":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"7"}}]]Above: Caleb Bennett talks about his ride that gave him his first San Angelo win.

Caleb Bennet, of Montana, came to San Angelo with a stacked resume. Countless wins had helped Bennett to seven NFRs over an eight-year career.

Yet, one rodeo was missing from that resume: San Angelo.

An 85.5-point ride got Bennett to the short go in bareback riding. He drew Northcott Macza's Spilled Perfume, a horse that hadn't been out in 2019, for the final.

So, Bennett rode the horse for just the second time in its career and broke the arena record of 93 points.

That record would be matched by Clayton Biglow in the Cinch Chute-Out the next night.

1. Wrights Do No Wrong in Angelo

Three of Cody Wright's four sons, Rusty, Ryder and Stetson, took to San Angelo looking to keep their winning ways. They had won three times over the previous five rodeos in saddle bronc riding.

All three came away with winnings from the Concho Valley.

Rusty Wright, the eldest of the three brothers, won his third San Angelo Rodeo with a combined score of 177 points on two rides. Rusty claimed the win with an 89.5-point ride on Pete Carr's Hometown Girl.

[[{"fid":"54604","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"8":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"8"}}]]Above: Rusty Wright talks about his third San Angelo win

Ryder, the middle of the three, set the bar for the family when he rode for 84 points to assure his spot in the short go. The 2017 world champion then did all he could do and rode for 88 points on Pete Carr's Cool Runnings.

That was the second-best ride of the short go and helped Ryder finish third in the average.

[[{"fid":"54223","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"9":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"9"}}]]Above: Ryder Wright talks about the ride that got him into the short go

It was Stetson's first appearance at San Angelo. The 19-year-old was planning on riding at the 2018 rodeo, but was forced to miss it after tearing his ACL.

He made the most of his first appearance. He rode for 76 points in the family's traditional saddle bronc in the fifth performance before wowing the crowd with an 89-point bull ride on United Pro Rodeo's Happy Days nearly an hour later.

[[{"fid":"54222","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"10":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"10"}}]]Above: Stetson Wright after tying the San Angelo lead in bull riding.

That then spurred the Utah cowboy for three consecutive rides over 85 points at San Antonio and an 88.5-point ride at the Los Fresnos Rodeo, which eventually won the rodeo. Stetson was bucked off in the San Angelo short go a few hours after his ride in Los Fresnos.