CHEYENNE – Wacey Schalla has had about as good of a week at Cheyenne as any 18-year-old could have hoped for.
On Sunday, he won both bull riding and bareback riding to advance to the semifinals in both events at the 128th anniversary Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo.
Five days later, Schalla posted the highest bull riding rodeo score with a 91-point ride on Dakota Rodeo's Sneaky Situation to advance to Championship Sunday.
"That bull ride just topped it off," Schalla said. "It's been awesome and everything I've dreamed of. Hopefully, I can get one of those Cheyenne buckles (on Sunday)."
This wasn't the first time Schalla had matched up with Sneaky Situation. The two matched up over the fourth of July, where he was 86.5 at the Mandan Rodeo Days in Mandan, North Dakota.
"I was pretty happy to draw him today," Schalla said. "I knew he wasn't going to be easy to ride, but it worked out way better today."
Schalla doesn't have much time to relish in his win Friday. He will be back in action in bareback riding this afternoon in the second semifinal. While the bull riding win felt nice, Schalla said he doesn't want to get too far ahead of himself while he still has another ride to go.
"I don't usually like to get in my head too much," Schalla said. "I like to try to stay as humble as possible with that kind of stuff. But yeah, I plan on doing good in the short round so we will see how it goes."
Caldwell, Idaho, resident Brady Portenier suffered a head injury during Friday's performance after he was kicked in the head after being bucked off the back of his bull.
He was evaluated on site and woke up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He was held for evaluation and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's media relations team.
Steer wrestling
Long Valley, South Dakota, resident, Dakota Good is all too familiar with CFD. His father, Allen Good, has run steers in Cheyenne for years and has been instrumental in helping a handful of cowboys punch their ticket to the two semifinal performances.
On Friday, he hazed for his son and helped him qualify for Championship Sunday. To have his dad alongside him was something he wouldn't trade for the world.
It's also something he doesn't plan on changing come Sunday.
"Every night, dad is in the practice pen hazing with us," Good said. "To have a guy that has run steers for here and have your dad be your coach and hazer, you couldn't ask for a better situation."
The 20-year-old posted the fastest time of the day in steer wrestling, stopping the clock in 5.9 seconds. He had gotten second-hand experience with the steer he drew Friday after his dad helped fellow steer wrestler Caden Camp qualify for Saturday's semifinal performance Sunday.
"Caden just told me that he wasn't going to run very hard," Good said. "You needed one that was going to give you an honest chance to catch up. I knew I had a good steer, but I just had to use him. They are what you make them."
Sunday will mark the second time Good has made the short round at CFD. The last time didn't go his way, and he is determined to change that outcome when his time comes in the finals.
Saddle bronc riding
Schalla wasn't the only 90-point ride Friday. In a loaded saddle bronc field, Sherwood Park, Alberta, resident Kolby Wanchuk came away with the high score of the day with a 90-point ride on Brookman Rodeo's Apollo.
The ride was one of six rematches from previous rodeos.
"(That horse) is a powerhouse," Wanchuk said. "She doesn't take much rein and bucks really hard right out of the gate. She really tests you and toward the end of the ride, I was out of my saddle trying to keep up. It worked out in the end."
Wanchuk's friend, Dawson Hay, had ridden Apollo for no score during Monday's performance. Wanchuk had seen Apollo before, but relied heavily on his friend's experience for help during Friday's semifinal ride.
"He got everything figured out for me," he said. "(He helped me) with rein, chute procedure to try to get the best shot we possibly could at it."
Tie-down roping
Just under 24 hours after winning the last CFD tie-down roping quarterfinal with a time of 10.8 seconds, Clovis, New Mexico, resident Shad Mayfield won tie-down roping again. He improved his quarterfinal time by seven-tenths of a second, posting a time of 10.1 to come away with first place in Friday's semifinal.
"It's a little different set up here," Mayfield said. "You have to let the calves out and they don't go anywhere so you run up on them. It's all about the approach, and you have to set your run up. We did that."
Mayfield said his key to victory Thursday was the calf he drew not kicking too much. Because he is competing with two torn labrums in his hips, calves that aren't hard to deal with on the ground make his life a lot easier.
That was the exact kind of calf he drew once again Friday.
"All morning, I've been getting worked on and getting stretched out so I could make sure I was able to sit down on a calf," Mayfield said. "They haven't been roped until today, but I had a really good calf and it helped out."
Since joining the PRCA in 2018, Mayfield has accomplished nearly everything in pro rodeo. He has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo five times and also has a world title to his name. However, the one rodeo he has yet to check off his list is CFD.
His run on Friday brought him to the doorstep of checking the "Daddy of ’em All" off his list.
"It means a lot to get there," Mayfield said. "It's a marathon getting through all the rounds here at Cheyenne. I've drawn two really good calves in the progressive round and now the semifinals and have been able to take advantage of them."
Bareback riding
In the early rounds at CFD, roughstock riders can often find themselves in drawing contests, where the person that draws the best horse or bull has a weighted advantage.
In Friday's bareback final, however, everyone in the field found themselves on a good horse. Only one ride in the day came in below 80 points, and five riders found themselves with scores of 85 or better.
But the high mark of the day went to Caldwell, Idaho, resident Jacob Lees. The 28-year-old posted an 88.5-point ride on Fettig Pro Rodeo's Hot Money to win the first semifinal.
"There's nothing worse than being outdrawn," Lees said. "When they're all even and they're all buckers and everyone has something good because everyone can go out there and show their stuff and show what they are made of.
"If you don't do well, that's on you and not the horse."
Lees will be competing in the short round at CFD for the first time this Sunday. It's an opportunity that he is relishing.
"It means the world to me," Lees said. "This is one of the biggest and prestigious rodeos and if you're a young cowboy trying to be somebody, this is one you dream of winning and even being at."I'm just happy to be able to go."
Other winners
Tayla Moeykens came just 12-hundredths of a second from breaking Sue Smith's Frontier Park Arena record in barrel racing, crossing the line in 17.0 seconds. Kinlie Brennise of Craig, Colorado won breakaway roping with a time of 3.9.
From the last spot in the line up, the team of Wesley Thorp and Brayden Schmidt won team roping with a time of 8.3.
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