OTERO FAMILY SHINES AT FWSSR PRORODEO TOURNAMENT WEDNESDAY

FORT WORTH, Texas, (Jan. 29, 2025) Wednesday night at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (FWSSR) ProRodeo Tournament belonged to the Otero family.

Tie-down roper Michael Otero, his barrel racing wife Carlee and their two sons, Hudson and Houston, make their home about an hour from Dickies Arena, home of the legendary Fort Worth rodeo. The trip home had to be a happy one as both competitors were successful here.

Michael Otero competed first and tied for the top spot in round two of Bracket 3 with Quade Hiatt from Canyon, Texas. They each had a time of 8.7 to win $2,092. Otero also won money on Tuesday night and advances to the Semi-Finals with the highest total earnings of $3,933.

After he roped, he became the support system for his wife. Carlee Otero was the final barrel racer to compete and had the fastest time of the rodeo here so far at 16.19 seconds. She was riding her horse Blingolena that she rode at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December. She also won last night and is the high-money earner out of bracket 3 in her event at over $4,600.

Now both Oteros are bound for the Semi-Finals next week and hope to have enough success to advance to the championship finals. They each could win a coveted FWSSR championship.

Wednesday night’s team roping was emotional for all of the competitors. Texan Peyton Walters from Justin won the team roping at the Gladewater (Texas) Round-Up Rodeo last June with Brandon Gonzales from Lipan. That earned them a coveted spot in the tournament.

Just days before the rodeo here started, Gonzales lost his battle with cancer. That not only left Walters without a friend; it left him without his roping partner. When he backed into the heading box here, Jake Edwards from Fort Ann, New York was doing the heeling. They stopped the clock in 4.6 seconds for the win. Their $2,375 won’t be enough to advance to the Semi-Finals but honoring his friend while roping here was the biggest accomplishment for Walters.

Wyoming’s Brody Cress swept the saddle bronc riding. After winning round one with a 90.5-point ride, he came back Wednesday night and was 89.5 on United Pro Rodeo’s Awesome Sauce to win again. He is now making plans for the Semi-Finals and hoping to win his first FWSSR championship.

A new set of contestants will be at Dickies Arena for Bracket 4 of the FWSSR ProRodeo Tournament Thursday, January 30 for rodeo action beginning at 7:30 p.m.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The following are unofficial results from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s Pro Rodeo Tournament, Bracket 3, Round 2, January 29, 2025.

Bareback riding: 1, Drake Amundson, Wheatland, Wyo., 85.5 points on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Minnesota Joe, $2,300. 2, Bradlee Miller, Huntsville, Texas, 84.5, $1,800. 3, Luke Thrash, Bastrop, La., 84, $1,400. 4, Waylon Bourgeois, Church Point, La., 81, $1,000.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Miller, $3,868, and Bourgeois, $3,068. Wild Card qualifier: Amundson, $2,300.

Steer wrestling: 1, Cash Robb, Altamont, Utah, 4.2 seconds, $2,375. 2, (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho, and Gavin Soileau, Bunkie, La., 4.4, $1,675 each. 4, Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan., 4.5, $1,018.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Robb, $3,817, and Jorgensen, $3,786. Wild Card qualifier: Soileau, $3,787.

Breakaway roping: 1, TiAda Gray, May, Texas, 2.2 seconds, $2,375. 2, Jackie Crawford, Stephenville, Texas, 2.7, $1,875. 3, Nicole Baggarley, Las Cruces, N.M., 2.8, $1,475. 4, Cassidy Boggs, Stephenville, Texas, 3.3, $1,075.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Gray, $4,250, and Crawford, $3,350. Wild Card qualifier: Baggerley, $2,550.

Saddle bronc riding: 1, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyo., 89.5 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Awesome Sauce, $2,342. 2, Zac Dallas, Las Cruces, N.M., 86, $1,842. 3, Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, Mont., 85.5, $1,442. 4, Bailey Small, McArthur, Calif., 82. $1,042.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Cress, $4,660, and Dallas, $2,960. Wild Card qualifier: Kolby Wanchuk, Sherwood Park, Alberta, $1,818.

Tie-down roping: 1, (tie) Michael Otero, Perrin, Texas, and Quade Hiatt, Canyon, Texas, 8.7, $2,092 each. 3, Booker McCutchen, Harrison, Ark., 9.5, $1,442. 4, Seth Hall, Albuquerque, N.M., 10.2, $1,042.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Otero, $3,933, and Tom Crouse, Gallatin, Mo., $2,342. Wild Card qualifier: Hall, $2,283.

Team Roping: 1, Peyton Walters, Justin, Texas, and Jake Edwards, Fort Ann, N.Y., 4.6 seconds, $2,375 each. 2, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Hunter Koch, Vernon, Texas, 4.9, $1,875 each. 3, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Chase Tryan, Helena, Mont., 5.2, $1,475 each. 4, Pedro Egurrola, Florence, Ariz., and Justin Davis, Cottonwood, Calif., 5.3, $1,075 each.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Tsinigine and Tryan, $3,400 each; and Snow and Koch, $3,000 each. Wild Card qualifiers: Egurrola and Davis, $2,600 each.

Barrel Racing: 1, Carlee Otero, Perrin, Texas, 16.19 seconds, $2,300. 2, Ilyssa Riley, Hico, Texas, 16.50, $1,800. 3, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 16.66, $1,400. 4, Oceane Veilleux, St-Alfred, Quebec, Canada, 16.87. $1,000.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Otero, $4,618, and Lockhart, $2,418. Wild Card qualifier: Riley, $1,943.

Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Scott Wells, Goodiwindi, Queensland, Australia, 85 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Back Bender, $3,750. 2, Lukasey Morris, Union City, Okla., 81 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Crime Report, $3,250.

Semi-finals qualifiers: Wade Tuni, Rock Point, Ariz., $7,000, and Wells, $3,750. Wild Card qualifier: Morris, $3,250.

PROVIDED COURTESY OF SUSAN KANODE & NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA