University of Wyoming saddle bronc rider Traven Sharon, of Ordway, Colo., marked 82 points during Thursday’s College National Finals Rodeo performance -- the second-best score with one night of competition left. His three-head score of 235.25 points sends him to Saturday’s championship round at Casper’s Ford Wyoming Center. (Andrew Towne/Casper Star-Tribune Photo) Growing up in Ordway, Colo., the Sharon brothers always competed hard against each other in everything. There was

Traven Sharon, Photo courtesy of UW Rodeo CASPER, Wyo. - Traven Sharon has been chasing rodeo dreams almost as long as he has been able to walk. The University of Wyoming freshman rodeo athlete qualified for the 2026 College National Finals Rodeo in two events, saddle bronc riding and tie-down roping, all of this while many dream of even qualifying for the CNFR. “I grew up on horseback before I could walk and started going to the little rodeos and stuff that were around t

Jayce Hupp, Photo courtesy of UW Athletics. CASPER, Wyo. - As University of Wyoming assistant rodeo coach Jacey Hupp walks through the Ford Wyoming Center during the College National Finals Rodeo, she knows exactly what her student-athletes are experiencing. The South Dakota native competed at the CNFR four times as a contestant for South Dakota State University and qualified for college rodeo's biggest stage every year she was eligible, except during the COVID season when

Josie Mousel. Photo courtesy of University of Wyoming Rodeo CASPER, Wyo. - University of Wyoming cowgirl Josie Mousel has put herself in a prime position to win a championship at the 2026 College National Finals Rodeo. Mousel posted a 5.8-second run in the opening round and followed it with a 6.0-second effort in the second round. Through two go-rounds, the junior from Colman, South Dakota, sits atop the national standings and remains firmly in the hunt for a national cha