CALDWELL — One of pro rodeo’s brightest stars is competing at the Caldwell Night Rodeo this week.
Wacey Schalla, an 18-year old from Arapaho, Oklahoma, is putting his rodeo skills to the test in the Treasure Valley. But it’s not the only rodeo competition he has participated in this week. On Tuesday night, Schalla participated in the Cowtown Rodeo Xtreme Bulls competition in Woodstown, New Jersey. He was in the bull riding competition and enjoyed a successful night, placing second with a 168.5-point score through two rounds.
He didn’t mind having to wake up at 5:30 in the morning on Wednesday to travel to Boise, where he arrived at 4 p.m.
“I ended up winning like $11,000,” Schalla said. “It worked out. It was a long ways away but as long as I made it work, it was good.”
When you’ve had the success Schalla has had in the last year, all you want to do is find whatever rodeo competition you can get to and get your boots on the ground.
Schalla has broken out on the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) scene in his first year competing. As a Resistol Rookie competitor, he currently sits second in the PRCA All-Around World standings. The All-Around title is awarded to the cowboy who wins the most prize money in a year while competing in at least two events per rodeo, with a minimum earning of $3,000 in each event.
Schalla has excelled in both bull riding and bareback riding to become one of the brightest young stars in pro rodeo.
He’s been racking up wins ever since he turned 18 last November. Since then, in the All-Around competition, he’s won nine rodeo events. He’s won five more in bull riding and three more in bareback riding.
It’s been a hectic last year after starring at the high school and college ranks. He competed at the National High School Finals Rodeo and won the All-Around competition in 2023 before joining the Clarendon College rodeo team, a university in Clarendon, Texas. He once again dominated the All-Around championship in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association finals earlier this summer. Schalla totaled 477.5 points — the second-place finisher had 260.
That will be his only time competing at the college level as he shifts focus toward his professional career, with an eye on the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December.
“This last month has been outstanding for me,” Schalla said. “I was outside the top 15, looking in and now I’ve climbed up to about sixth or seventh. Flying, it doesn’t affect me much, that’s what I signed up for. It’s just another day.”
The ranks Schalla is referring to is the PRCA world rankings. The top 15 money winners in each event qualify for the NFR. As of now, he ranks eighth in the standings for bull riding and 28th for bareback riding.
He’s done a lot of work in the past month, and year, to get to this point. Since July, he has competed in 16 rodeo events, including the Caldwell Night Rodeo. He did both bull and bareback riding Wednesday night, hoping to top the field.
Currently, Schalla sits atop the leaderboard in bull riding. His 89-point ride has him in first place. It’s a one-time ride, so he’ll have to wait until Saturday to see if his score holds the top spot. In bareback riding, he scored 84 points and is tied for fifth place. If he makes the top 12 after Thursday and Friday’s competitions, he’ll ride in the championship round Saturday.
It’s his first time in the Treasure Valley for the Caldwell Night Rodeo, an experience he has been impressed with.
“It’s one of the big stops of the year,” Schalla said. “This is one you don’t really want to miss. All of us try to stop here and make the best of it ... this is by far the biggest crowd and (most) energetic crowd I’ve ever been around.”
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