Best in the Southwest Bring the Heat to Turquoise Circuit Finals Opener

The Best in the Southwest showed up with some Southwestern heat as Performance 1 of the 2026 Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo delivered first-go victories across eight events. From an 82-point bareback ride to a pair of ties atop the leaderboard, the opening performance gave fans plenty to cheer about.

Evan Betony of Cow Springs, Arizona, claimed the first-go bareback riding win with an 82-point ride aboard Mississippi Squirrel. Betony’s winning effort put an Arizona cowboy at the top of the standings as the circuit’s finalists began their pursuit of finals honors.

In saddle bronc riding, Jack Chase of Magdalena, New Mexico, earned the opening-round victory with 84.5 points. His score was the highest winning mark among the three roughstock events in Performance 1.

The bull riding ended with two cowboys sharing first-place honors. Brad Moreno of Casa Grande, Arizona, and Toby Hale of Sarina, Queensland, each posted an 81-point ride. The Arizona cowboy and Australian competitor finished the first go on equal footing, adding a split victory to the opening performance’s results.

In the timed events, Pecos Tatum of La Plata, New Mexico, took the tie-down roping win with a 9.1-second run. Tatum joined Chase in giving New Mexico a strong showing among the first-go winners.

Cody Cabral of Hilo, Hawaii, topped the steer wrestling with a 4.7-second run. His victory added Hawaii to an opening-round winner’s list that stretched well beyond the Southwest.

Breakaway roping produced the evening’s other tie. Bailey Stringer of Flagstaff, Arizona, and Leigh Ann Scribner of Edgewood, New Mexico, each stopped the clock in 2.6 seconds to share the first-go win. With identical times at the top, both ropers left the opening performance with a round victory to their names.

Jana Bean of Fort Hancock, Texas, carried West Texas into the winner’s circle in barrel racing. Bean turned in a 15.91-second run to claim first-go honors and put her name atop the opening-round results.

In team roping, Derrick Begay of Seba Dalkai, Arizona, and Colter Todd of Willcox, Arizona, secured the win with a 5.0-second run. The all-Arizona partnership added another victory for the home-state contingent, joining Betony, Moreno and Stringer among the state’s opening-round winners.

Performance 1 established the first set of round winners, but more competition remained ahead. With eight events represented and two shared victories, the opener offered an early look at the talent assembled for the Turquoise Circuit Finals.

For the cowboys and cowgirls chasing their next winning ride or run, the challenge was to carry that opening-night heat into the remaining performances.