By reclaiming the bull riding and all-around world titles, Stetson Wright completed a comeback season that pushed his career total to 10 PRCA World Championships.
The 2025 National Finals Rodeo marked a return to a comfortable spot for Stetson Wright, the top.
When the standings were final in Las Vegas, Wright stood as both the PRCA World Champion All-Around Cowboy and the Bull Riding world champion once again. This added two gold buckles to a very impressive career that now includes 10 PRCA world championships. The season represented Wright’s complete comeback.
An All-Around Race To Watch
The all-around championship was Wright’s sixth, and it came after the most competitive season-long race he has faced for the title.
The battle for the all-around championship between Wright and Wacey Schalla was the big storyline entering the NFR. The two traded the No. 1 position multiple times throughout the regular season, and the margins between them remained slim for much of the year.
Even after bucking off his bull in Round 10, Wright’s season long advantage held. He claimed the all-around title by more than $46,000, finishing the year with $817,088, a new single-season all-around earnings record. Wright previously set the mark in 2022 with $758,829, and this year’s total came just short of becoming the first $1 million season in PRCA history.
Jackie Jensen PhotographyWright’s approach throughout the season was consistent. As the NFR progressed, he continued to add to his earnings rather than relying on a single defining moment, slowly extending his lead as the week's stories unfolded.
This is the first year that the all around has not been over before the finals with Stetson in contention. Although 19 year old Wacey Schalla, bareback and bull riding NFR qualifier this year, gave him a run for this money, Stetson still came out on top. However, it is safe to say Schalla is not going anywhere, and Wright likely has a real fight for it every year for now on.
Bull Riding
Alongside the all-around title, Wright also secured the bull riding world championship, his third in the event. He entered the 2025 NFR ranked No. 1 in the bull riding standings and maintained that position across all 10 rounds.
Wright finished third in the bull riding average, earning enough to claim the title and push his career total to 10 world championships. By season’s end, he had earned $546,471 in bull riding, finishing approximately $33,000 ahead of TJ Gray, who had an incredible finals performance and earned more than $329,000 in Las Vegas alone.
Saddle Bronc
The Wright family legacy really lives in the saddle bronc riding. Stetson is the 2021 Saddle Bronc rider. He is after a triple crown, but he's got to beat his brothers for it first. This year the brothers showed up in the bronc riding, coming out 1,2 and 3 in the world, with the youngest Statler becoming the World Champion.
Jackie Jensen Photography
Making History
Wright won six rounds between saddle bronc riding and bull riding this year, increasing his career NFR round win total to 23. At this year’s NFR, Wright recorded four saddle bronc round wins and three bull riding wins, totaling seven round wins, the most he has ever achieved at a single NFR.
That mark surpassed his previous personal best of six round wins at the 2020 NFR at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The last cowboy to win seven rounds in one NFR was Hall of Famer Trevor Brazile in 2015.
Wright concluded the 2025 NFR with $196,297 in earnings, reflecting his ability to produce results across multiple events.
With 10 PRCA world championships, Wright now stands alongside only a handful of guys in rodeo history to reach those double digits. Only Trevor Brazile, Guy Allen, Jim Shoulders, Dean Oliver, and Everett Bowman have won as many or more world titles.
His six all-around championships tie him with Larry Mahan and Tom Ferguson. Stetson's goal is still to win more all around titles than Trevor Brazile, who has 14. This comeback year is making that goal seem more possible.
Reflecting on the year, holding his gold buckle Wright said,
“The comeback was amazing. I have loved every part of it and that made this even sweeter.”
The 2025 season did not hinge on a single ride or a single round for Wright. These gold buckles were defined by durability, confidence, and a whole lot of consistency.
For Stetson Wright, the year reaffirmed his place at the top of the sport and marked a big return. The gold buckles were the result of sustained execution and a comeback season for the record books.
