Peterson stands tall in Dodge City
Seth Peterson began his ProRodeo career in 2021 as a permit-holder, a designation for young contestants trying to prove themselves.
He became a card-carrying member of the PRCA two years later, and he competed primarily in the Mountain States Circuits, a region made up of rodeos and contestants from Colorado and Wyoming. It was the perfect fit for the recent University of Wyoming graduate who has dabbled in coaching.
But 2025 is truly his rookie year on tour.
“I’ve just circuit rodeoed up until this point in my career,” said Peterson, 27, originally from Minot, North Dakota, but now living in northern Colorado. “This year I finally decided to start going all over the place and rodeo full time.”
He’s starting to feel comfortable in this position. He competed in steer wrestling during Wednesday’s opener of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo and began the day with a 4.0-second to sit in second place in the first round. He then stopped the clock in 4.6 seconds, and his two-run cumulative time of 8.6 seconds helped him to the top spot.
“My horse has been amazing,” Peterson said of Coors, a 12-year-old gray gelding he’s dubbed as “The Silver Bullet.” “He’s 12 this year, and I’ve had him three or four years and was finally able to buy him last spring. To have him as a great partner makes my job a lot easier.”
That’s a big reason Peterson has made the transition to rodeoing full time. It’s not easy, but he’s climbing the charts. He is 40th in the world standings and is hoping to climb the ladder this year. The ultimate goal for every contestant is to finish the regular season among the top 15 on the money list in order to advance to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand championship.
“Making the NFR has been my dream since I was little, and I just never really had the opportunity or the finances to be able to do that,” said Peterson, the 2024 Mountain States Circuit bulldogging champion who was the runner-up in 2023. “My wife and I have been very blessed to be on our own place now. The stars have kind of aligned to where I could be gone full time and not have to worry about leaving her to do everything.
“She still has to take care of a lot, but the timing was just right that I was able to do it.”
There is an adjustment, though. He’s not just heading off to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, or Rock Springs, Wyoming.
“It’s a different level of bulldogging out here,” he said. “There are great circuit guys in the Mountain States, but out here, they’re full-grown men. They take advantage of every good steer they draw, so when you draw a good one, you have to bulldog correctly and make great runs. Your horse has to be on point every time. You’ve got to have a good hazer on the other side that helps you.
“You can definitely tell it’s a professional sport when you’re out here. It’s full contact every day, and there are no days off.”
Peterson proved Wednesday he’s ready for the battle and the opportunities that sit in front of him. He will return to town for Championship Sunday and test his talent against other top cowboys in a quest for Dodge City magic.
Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
July 30-Aug. 3
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Roedy Farrel, 85.5 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Sum Buck; 2. Waylon Bourgeois, 85; 3. Tanner Aus, 84.5; 4. Cole Franks, 84; 5. Andy Gingerich, 82; 6. (tie) Nick Pelke and Tucker Carricato, 79; no other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Will Lummus, 3.7 seconds; 2. Seth Peterson, 4.0; 3. Mike McGinn, 4.4; 4. Eli Lord, 4.6; 5. Justin Shaffer, 4.7; 6. Dalton Massey, 4.9; 7. Nick Guy, 5.0; 8. Darcy Kersch, 5.2. Second round leaders: 1. Darcy Kersch, 3.8 seconds; 2. Jake Holmes, 4.2; 3. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Seth Peterson, 4.6; 5. Winsten McGraw, 4.8; 6. Mike McGinn, 4.9; 7. Ryan Shuckburgh, 5.5; 8. Nick Guy, 6.1. Average leaders: 1. Seth Peterson, 8.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Darcy Kersh, 9.;0; 3. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Mike McGinn, 9.3; 5. Nick Guy, 11.1; 6. Ryan Shuckburgh, 11.6; 7. Jake Holmes, 12.2; 8. Winsten McGraw, 12.6; 9. Will Lummus, 14.7; 10. Eli Lord, 18.6.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 4.9 seconds; 2. Cory Kidd V/Will Woodfin, 5.2; 3. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 5.6; 4. Jesse Stipes/Cordell Collins, 5.7; 5. (tie) Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Jhett Trenary/Gralyn Elkins, 5.9; 7. Coy Rahlmann/Cole Curry, 6.0; 8. J.C Yeahquo/Ross Ashford, 7.4. Second round leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/Ross Ashford, 4.1 seconds; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Travis Graves, 5.0; 3. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 5.3; 4. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 5.4; 5. Cory Kidd/Will Woodfin, 5.6; 6. Wheston Jones/Lane Reeves, 5.7; 7. Jhett Trenary/Gralyn Elkins, 5.8; 8. Jesse Boos/Reed Boos, 10.7. Average leaders: 1. Cory Kidd/Will Woodfin, 10.8 seconds on two runs; 2. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, 10.9; 3. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 11.3; 4. J.C. Yeahquo/Ross Ashford, 1.5; 5. Jhett Trenary/Gralyn Elkins, 11.7; 6. Jesse Stipes/Cordell Collins, 21.4; 7. Jesse Boos/Reed Boos, 27.1; 8. Wyatt Nelson/Jonathan Torres, 4.9 seconds on one run; 9. Tanner Tomlinson/Travis Graves, 5.0; 10. Wheston Jones/Lane Reeves, 5.7.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Ryder Sanford, 85.5 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Colorado Kool-Aid; 2. Shea Fournier, 90.5; 3. (tie) Waitley Sharon and Trent Burd, 80; 5. Gus Gaillard, 79; 6. Cooper Thatcher, 76; 7. Cooper Lane, 71; 8. (tie) Jackson Ford and Korben Baker, 69.
Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Alli Masters, 2.5 seconds; 2. Aspen Miller, 2.8; 3. Samantha Haardt, 3.1; 4. (tie) Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, TiAda Gray and Mable McAbee, 3.7; 7. Whitney Jennings, 4.2; 8. Macayla Womaack, 5.9. Second round leaders: 1. Shalee King, 2.7 seconds; 2. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 2.8; 3. Kelsey Hallin, 3.5; 4. Brett Woolsey, 3.6; 5. Libby Winchell, 4.5; 6. Mable McAbee, 4.6; 7. Whitney Jennings, 4.8; 8. Bailey Witt, 12.5. Average leaders: 1. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 6.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Mable McAbee, 8.3; 3. Whitney Jennings, 9.0; 4. TiAda Gray, 14.6; 5. Alli Masters, 2.5 seconds on one run; 6. Shalee King, 2.7; 7. Aspen Miller, 2.8; 8. Samantha Haardt, 3.1; 9. Kelsey Hallin, 3.5; 10. Brett Woolsey, 3.6.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Andrew Burks, 8.5 seconds; 2. Brodey Clemons, 9.6; 3. Quade Hiatt, 9.7; 4. Haven Meged, 9.8; 5. Kyan Wilhite, 9.9; 6. Tyler Calhoun, 10.0; 7. Brody Stallard, 10.1; 8. Luke Potter, 10.4. Second round leaders: 1. Kyan Wilhite, 7.6 seconds; 2. Riley Pruitt, 8.5; 3. Tom Simpson, 8.8; 4. Richard Newton, 8.9; 5. Macon Murphy, 9.3; 6. (tie) Tyler Calhoun and Guy Raasch, 9.5; 8. (tie) Quade Hiatt and Grant Turek, 10.1; 10. Andrew Burks, 10.9. Average leaders: 1. Kyan Wilhite, 17.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Andrew Burks, 19.4; 3. Tyler Calhoun, 19.5; 4. Quade Hiatt, 19.8; 5. Riley Pruitt, 10.0; 6. Richard Newton, 20.6; 7. Macon Murphy, 21.3; 8. Luke Potter, 21.7; 9. Brody Stallard, 22.2; 10. Grant Turek, 24.5.
Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Austyn Tobey, 17.28 seconds; 2. Piper Cordes, 17.29; 3. Sabrina Ketcham, 17.41; 4. (tie) Alex Odle and Prairie Robbins, 17.85; 6. Ruby Lightfoot, 17.90; 7. Kallie Gates, 17.97; 8. Brett Woolsey, 18.19; 9. Jennifer Baker, 18.22; 10. Jean Winters, 18.31; 11. Baley Below, 18.58; 12. Natalie Bland, 22.69. Second round leaders: 1. Piper Cordes, 17.10 seconds; 2. Austyn Tobey, 17.17; 3. Ruby Lightfoot, 17.41; 4. Kallie Gates, 17.48; 5. Prairie Robbins, 17.50; 6. Alex Odle, 17.57; 7. Jean Winters, 18.05; 8. Sabrina Ketcham, 22.34; 9. Brett Woolsey, 22.83; 10 Bailey Below, 23.11; 11. Jennifer Baker, 23.57; 12. Natalie Bland, 28.93. Average leaders: 1. Piper Cordes, 34.39 seconds on two runs; 2. Austin Tobey, 34.45; 3. Ruby Lightfoot, 35.31; 4. Prairie Robbins, 35.35; 5. Alex Odle, 35.42; 6. Kallie Gates, 35.45; 7. Jean Winters, 36.36; 8. Sabrina Ketcham, 39.75; 9. Brett Woolsey, 412.02; 10. Bailey Below, 41.69; 11. Jennifer Baker, 41.79; 12. Natalie Bland, 51.62
Bull riding leaders: 1. J.R. Stratford, 85 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Kung Fu Panda; 2. Qynn Andersen, 84; 3. Ky Hamilton, 75.5; no other qualified rides.
