Two-Sport Cowboy Traven Sharon Brings Rodeo, Wrestling Grit to First CNFR
- Jeff Bugher
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
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 the house when I was five or six,” Sharon said. “My first year of full junior rodeo when I was nine years old.”
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Sharon was born in Abilene, Texas, before his family moved back to Colorado when he was two. He was raised in Ordway, Colorado (population 1,066), where rodeo was part of daily life.
His first junior rodeo event was goat tying.
“I started out with the goat tying, had a little black pony we called Tornado, and we just kind of let him have it and went fast,” Sharon said. “I don't know if we did much right, but we sure tried to go fast.”
His parents, Trent and Lindy Sharon, both grew up around ranching and rodeo. His father college rodeoed at Northeastern Junior College and CSU Pueblo and came close to qualifying for the CNFR in tie-down roping.
“My dad college rodeoed and had some success and was pretty, pretty dang close to making the CNFR roping calves and one broken barrier cost it,” Sharon said.
In high school, Sharon competed in team roping, tie-down roping and saddle bronc riding. He started riding saddle broncs as a sophomore and quickly found success, qualifying for the National High School Finals Rodeo (held in Wyoming). As a senior, he became the Colorado state champion saddle bronc rider and again qualified for high school finals in calf roping.
“I was the state champion saddle bronc rider, made high school finals in the calf rope and again,” Sharon said. “And then I was went in, I came into short round leading the average on 2 and fell off again.”
Though he came up short at the NHSFR, Sharon said he still made his presence known.
“I came up just short at nationals a couple times, but placed in a couple rounds,” Sharon said. “So they knew we were there.”
Sharon is back on a national stage again here in Wyoming, a place that already feels familiar.
“It feels like home,” Sharon said.
Choosing to chase his college dreams at the University of Wyoming was very intentional, for more than rodeo. He also had a chance to continue wrestling at the Division I level with the University of Wyoming wrestling program.
“Seth and Jacey are just outstanding,” Sharon said of UW rodeo coaches Seth Glause and Jacey Hupp. “Our practice horses are some of the best in the country. J.D Hamaker has them. I also got the chance to wrestle.”
Wrestling was not a side note in Sharon’s athletic career. He was a four-time Colorado state champion in high school, winning titles at 106, 113, 120 and 126 pounds.
“I started at the lowest and just bumped up one every year.”
How did Traven get the attention of University of Wyoming Wrestling?
Sharon said Wyoming wrestling coaches Mark Branch and McCade Ford found him after he attended a UW summer camp before his senior year.
“Branch and McCade found me at, we came up to UW for summer camp, would have been the summer of my senior year and I guess I wrestled good enough there that we started talking and we talked about rodeo and wrestling and from then it just kind of built,” Sharon said.
Balancing rodeo and wrestling is not easy, but Sharon said Branch has supported through it all.
“He always wants me to win, no matter what I'm doing, whether it's class or rodeo or anything,” Sharon said. “If I don't have a good weekend, he dang sure asks what I need to fix, and makes sure that I'm staying on top of business.”
Branch’s support means a lot to Sharon.
“So just a guy that cares for me like that, is somebody that I want to wrestle for and be around for sure,” Sharon said.
At this year’s CNFR, Traven is not be the only member of his family competing. His older brother, Waitley Sharon of Tarleton State, also qualified in saddle bronc riding after winning the Lone Star Region for the second straight year.
“He'll be there. He'll be a force, but we're going to go show him what's up,” Traven said.
The brotherly competition has already been lively.
“Yeah, it's all pretty healthy,” Sharon said. “We've entered a couple of the same pro rodeos this year and I'm two for two on top of it this year. So we'll see if we can keep it up.”
Making the CNFR as a freshman in two events is a major accomplishment, but Sharon said it credits all of the work behind the scenes.
“Just a lot of hard work and grind,” Sharon said. “It's easy to get complacent when you're winning at the lower levels.”
He also credits his coaches, parents and brother for pushing him to keep improving.
“Seth's been awesome, and my parents have been awesome and my brothers also, to keep pushing me to jump levels and stay in the grind no matter the success that we have,” Sharon said.
Qualifying in tie-down roping carries special meaning because of his father’s history in the event.
“It's pretty cool to get to go do that in an event that my dad loved so much,” Sharon said.
Sharon said his parents have played a huge role in his success.
His father also helped fund the family’s early rodeo miles by competing himself.
“He would haul us to those amateur rodeos and season a green calf horse,” Sharon said. “Those first couple years, he would win the money and pay for the fuel. It was just all about experience for us.”
Trave remains focused on performing at the CNFR, but tells PokesNews.com that he’s not overthinking it.
“There's only so much you can control,” Sharon said. “You can't control what you draw or what everybody else does.”
“I'm just focusing on what I can control and that's making good rides, you know, getting a good mark out, lifting on my rein and being aggressive and, you know, in the bronc ride and then the calf rope and getting a good start and taking a good shot,” Sharon said.
Faith is very important to Sharon.
“One thing that they've raised us is the only two things that we can guarantee in this life is a strong work ethic and, faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ,” Sharon said. “Obviously anything that we do, we're going to do it wholeheartedly and not for man, but as for the Lord.”
Sharon has already been on the road heavily leading into Casper, competing in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and Utah before arriving for the CNFR.
“We're dang sure burning a little bit of rubber, but I guess I don't know any different,” Sharon said.
After the CNFR, he plans to continue rodeoing through the summer, with entries lined up into July and hopes of getting into Cheyenne Frontier Days.
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