It was a two-night event at one of ProRodeo’s most hallowed grounds with a total payout of more than $100,000. Yet the inaugural Cheyenne Frontier Days Extreme Bulls was essentially a microcosm of the ongoing battle that continues to unfold in the PRCA World Standings. 

The back-and-forth duel between Wacey Schalla and Stetson Wright played out in real time on July 21-22 as the top two competitors in both bull riding and the all-around race did everything they could to one-up each other. 

In the end, it was Schalla, the second-year phenom from Arapaho, Okla., who got the best of the eight-time PRCA World Champion.

“It was probably one of the best bull ridings I’ve ever seen that the PRCA Extreme Bulls has ever had. To be a part of that and be able to come out on top was pretty cool,” Schalla said. 

Wright set a lofty bar at the start, going for 92.5 points to win the opening round against Rafter G Rodeo’s Rank Frank. Schalla stayed right on his heels, notching a 90.5-point ride against Smith Pro Rodeo’s Tarzan. 

That set the stage for the final go. Schalla won the round on a 91.5-point ride against United Pro Rodeo’s Debo. Wright went for 89 points against Rafter G Rodeo’s Phantom, placing him third. And with that, Schalla was a half-a-point better in the aggregate, giving him the win. 

Their tit-for-tat battle netted each cowboy big paydays. Wright left Cheyenne with $24,127, while Schalla took home $28,607.  

Last year, Schalla was the benefactor of Wright’s absence from the PRCA as he took the season off to recover from injury. That allowed the Resistol Rookie of the Year to finish fourth in the All-Around World Standings as the highest-earning roughstock competitor. He also placed seventh overall in bull riding. 

With Wright back, the two competitors have been trying to one-up each other. The Beaver, Utah, cowboy is first in both the Bull Rider and All-Around World Standings, while Schalla is right behind him as the No. 2 man in both rankings. Wright is ahead of Schalla by almost $100,000 in the all-around race, but the pair are separated by less than $15,000 in bull riding.

“It’s been great. I couldn’t ask for anything more, honestly. I think this time last year I had probably $60,000 won. I’m kind of just rodeoing on a cushion now and it’s definitely making it a lot easier,” Schalla said. 

The win in Cheyenne was certainly significant, but Schalla knows there’s still ground to make up if he wants to overtake Wright. 

If he’s going to get his first World Title, Schalla is going to have to earn it by getting around one of the all-time greats in ProRodeo. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“It’s going to be an all season battle for sure. It’ll definitely come down to the (Wrangler National) Finals, so I’m pretty excited,” Schalla said. 

Photos courtesy of Cheyenne Frontier Days