Dalton Sanchez rides to top score in bull riding at Greeley Stampede rodeo

Tanner Aus holds his ground and scores a 77 during the bareback riding event at the Greeley Stampede Arena on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (Jim Rydbom/Press Photographer)

Dalton Sanchez rode alone for nearly 14 hours Monday night to compete in the Greeley Stampede rodeo.

Sanchez started the rodeo in an open spot and delivered one of his best performances in bull riding on Tuesday night, earning a spot in the finals of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event.

Sanchez, a 26-year-old from Pagosa Springs, finished in second place with 84.5 points on the fifth night of action after arriving in Greeley late Tuesday afternoon. Sanchez competed Monday night in Prescott, Ariz., where he didn’t win any money before making the long trip for a chance to compete in Greeley.

He is what is known as a walk up in the rodeo world. In rough stock events, including bull riding, a competitor can walk up and enter a rodeo if there is room. Sanchez arrived in Greeley around 4 p.m. Tuesday.

“Because I love it,” Sanchez said of the long trip to Colorado. “This has been a passion since I was a kid.”

Sanchez’s night as a walk-up meant he will be one of 12 finalists on Wednesday’s final night of PRCA action at the Stampede. The finals begin at 7 p.m.

The American bullfighting, not a PRCA event, takes place in the Stampede arena starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday.

Oklahoman Lukasey Morris, ranked 23rd in the world this season, won the bull riding on Tuesday as the last rider of the evening. Morris scored 86.5 points, but took a hard fall at the end of his ride and was helped out of the arena.

Hunter Tate, a 23-year-old from Kansas, tied for second with Sanchez.

World champion Cody Teel was the only other rider to score points (77.5). Teel, a 32-year-old from Bryan, is ranked 21st in the PRCA standings this season.

Tuesday was Military Appreciation Night, and the crowd of 6,758 was particularly lively. Active duty service members were asked to stand for a moment of recognition during the evening, which was noticeably cooler than in recent days.

A group of five veterans of the Korean and Vietnam War eras rode in the back of a truck and were greeted with loud applause. Among those honored were Richard Peterson, of Greeley, and Pasquale Demarco of Windsor, both of whom served around the time of the Korean War in the early 1950s.

At other rodeo events:

Nick Pelke from Mondovi, Wisconsin won the bareback riding (82 points). The number 8 in the world ranking, Tanner Aus, scored 77 points with his ride.

Cody Devers of Perryton, Texas won the steer wrestling (4.2 seconds).

Austin Crist of Fountain and JW Borrego of Weston advance to the finals with top-five finishes in team roping. Crist and Borrego had a score of 7.6 seconds on Tuesday.

Talon Elshere, a 21-year-old from Hereford, South Dakota, earned the highest score in saddle bronc riding (79 points) and will compete in the finals.

Cole Clemons, a 20-year-old from Lipan, Texas, was the fastest in the rope tug of war with a time of 7.8 seconds.

In the women’s roping, Fallon Ruffoni of Arroyo Grande, California, finished in 2.6 seconds.

Breakaway roping is an event in which a rider grabs a running calf to rope the animal, but does not throw or rope the calf. Katie Jolly of Deer Trail had a time of 2.7 seconds. Tanna Hansen of Wiggins had a time of three seconds.

In the women’s barrel racing, Kelly Yates of Pueblo had the best time (17.43 seconds). Steely Steiner of Weatherford, Texas was second in 17.6 seconds and Tessa Arnold of Coleman, Texas was third (17.76).