After two straight Top 20 finishes to begin his career, Statler Wright is officially making his first NFR trip this December as the No. 9 ranked saddle bronc rider in the World.
Wright said there was no big change that pushed him into the upper echelon of ProRodeo, all he did was go to a few more rodeos and perform with a little more consistency.
“It really bothered me (that I didn’t make the NFR in 2023), because a lot of people if they miss it, they don’t have to go watch it, but I have to go sit in the stands and usually watch one, two or three of my brothers. It’s always really ate at me since I started rodeoing,” he said. “I set my goals a lot higher, I wanted to go into the NFR No. 1, which didn’t happen, but shooting my goals that high made it feel like getting in the Top 15 wasn’t as hard this year.”
Wright enters the NFR with a little momentum because he won $27,000 in September, including a win worth nearly $18,000 at the North Dakota Roughrider Cup.
“It’s seriously life-changing to win that amount of money in eight seconds,” he said. “Had an awesome horse, Steely Dan of Macza Pro Rodeo, I’ve seen Stetson be 88 on that horse in 2023, so I knew I had the one to win it on.”
After that win is when it officially set it in for him that he was going to the NFR.
As for the preparation, Wright is not changing his routine. He has gotten on a couple of practice horses and gone to a couple of amateur rodeos since the regular season ended on Sept. 30 to stay sharp.
"(Still getting on) helps me and my mental game, because I know if I’m getting on, my saddle feels good, I feel comfortable with how I’m riding,” he said. “So, it helps me a lot going to those amateur rodeos, it feels like it does just a little bit more than what practice does, keeps the nerves up, keeps you trying hard.”
