A trio of purple-clad saddle bronc riders led the Tarleton State University men’s rodeo team to a historic finish Saturday night at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyo.
Coleman Shallbetter, Montgomery Parsons and Bailey Small all captured top 10 finishes on the way to the men’s team securing back-to-back national championships for the first time in program history.
“It’s super special because it’s extremely hard to do,” said head coach Mark Eakin, who has led Tarleton State’s men to three titles in four years. “Most of the team members were part of championship teams either last year or three years ago.
Shallbetter and Parsons tied for third in the saddle bronc, with each carding an 80 on Saturday. Small’s 72.5 was good for ninth.
“It was awesome,” said Shallbetter. “It was really cool to have all my friends there and to compete against them and to be part of such an awesome team.”
Shallbetter wound up with a four-head 313.5 total in Casper, while Parsons’ 315 included go-round scores of 79, 75.5 and 80.5.
Steer wrestler Landris White, tie-down roper Brayden Roe and saddle bronc rider Waitley Sharon rounded out the competitors for the national champion men’s team.
A national title was also in the cards for goat tyer Tori Brower, who flashed a 6.0 second time in Saturday’s final to takes the individual event crown and lead the Tarleton State women to the CNFR reserve championship.
“I’m glad to finish my time at Tarleton with a national champion win,” said Brower. “I’m pretty excited.”
Brower was consistent throughout the CNFR, turning in times of 6.2, 6.1 and 6.2 to earn a spot in the finals.
Teammate Jacelyn Frost corralled seventh place in the breakaway roping finals with her 3.3. She finished the CNFR with a four-head total of 20 seconds.
Other women’s team competitors included barrel racers Jordan Driver and Hadley Tidwell and breakaway ropers Driver and Kaylie Garza.
The Tarleton State rodeo program now boasts 41 combined team and individual national championships.
As reserve champions for the second straight year, Tarleton State’s women finished just 10 points behind eventual national champion Southwest Texas College.
— Tarleton State University