SALT LAKE CITY — Ryder Wright wants you to know that he’s earned it.
Ryder is the latest world-champion cowboy from Utah’s illustrious Wright family. His dad, Cody, won two saddle bronc riding world championships, while his uncles Spencer and Jesse each have a world championship under their belts. Uncles Alex and Jake are also professional riders and will be competing this weekend with Ryder at the Days of ’47 Rodeo. His brother, Rusty, is also one of the best saddle bronc riders in the world.
“We have to work at it just like everybody else. I don’t know if people know that or not. When I was in high school, we’d practice three times a week, go to the rodeos on the weekend, it was always just practice, practice, practice. We knew we wanted to do that, so my dad said, ‘As long as you’re going to do it, you might as well be the best at it,” Wright said. “We work hard at it. People do think we just get stuff given to us, but they don’t see the hours that we put into it when we’re home.”
Growing up, Wright learned a lot watching his dad and uncles compete in rodeos.
“It was awesome. I always loved being able to go with them and just growing up watching them. Having all that help, it made it a lot easier for me to excel in it,” Wright said.
Wright grew up riding bulls and was just 15 when he got on his first horse, but by watching him ride a bucking bronco, you’d think he had been doing it since he was born. Wright quickly picked up the family trade, winning the Utah High School Rodeo Finals in saddle bronc riding in both 2015 and 2016 and winning saddle bronc riding at National High School Finals Rodeo in 2015, confirming to himself that he could be successful in rodeo.
Even when he was little, we all knew that Ryder was going to be destined for great things. He’s dedicated, he’s a hard worker, I think the sky’s the limit for him. – Jake Wright, on Ryder Wright
Wright didn’t peak in high school. After graduating from Milford High School in 2016, he went from sitting in math class to traveling around the country on the rodeo circuit that summer.
“It was a pretty big change. We rodeoed really hard that year because I was trying to make the finals and I kind of got a late start because of how my birthday fell, so I went from being home a lot to not being home at all, hardly, but it was fun,” Wright said.
Wright had instant success in his first year of professional rodeo in 2016, finishing fourth in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association saddle bronc standings, making him $211,758 in earnings. During the Wrangler National Rodeo Finals in 2016, Wright won five rounds in saddle bronc riding — the first rookie ever to do so. He didn’t take home the championship, but he was just getting started. One year later, he made sure that he took home the gold buckle. Wright finished 2017 No. 1 in the PRCA saddle bronc riding standings, earning $284,938.
“It’s awesome to be called the best in the world. It’s pretty awesome to have that title and be able to win the same title that my dad had and my uncles had, it makes it that much more special,” Wright said. “It was hard to believe for a minute. I knew I could do it, I just didn’t know that it would be that soon, I had an awesome week in the finals. Lucky.”
His family has enjoyed watching his rise to the top of the rodeo world.
“It’s been awesome. He’s worked hard for it. Even when he was little, we all knew that Ryder was going to be destined for great things. He’s dedicated, he’s a hard worker, I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Jake Wright said.
“It’s been good, I’m glad for him. He’s been riding really good,” Alex Wright added.
In his third year of being a professional cowboy, the most challenging part of spending his summer on the circuit is being away from home — away from his wife and daughter. On the road, though, Wright isn’t totally alone. He has his dad, brother Rusty, and uncle Spencer traveling with him.
“It’s awesome to have them there all the time. When you need help, they’ve been there, done that, so they know what to do and how to do it, so it’s nice having that advice all the time,” Wright said.
On Friday night, in front of his home crowd, Wright placed first in saddle bronc riding at the second performance of the Days of ’47 Rodeo with a score of 86.
“It’s always nice to be going to a rodeo in Utah. Those have always been my favorite rodeos. It seems like the crowd there, they’re really into it and it makes it that much more fun when the crowd is into it like that. Being in a home state just makes it that much better,” Wright said.
Wright advanced to Tuesday night’s final, where he will compete for $50,000.
“I’m excited. It’s always awesome to be able to compete for this much money, so I’m excited,” Wright said.