STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The Tarleton State University’s men’s rodeo team will look to pick up back-to-back championships for the first time ever at the annual College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) June 15-21 in Casper, Wyo. The 2024 national title marked the fifth for the Tarleton men since 1967.
While a national crown is difficult in any sport, rodeo has its own unique challenges that make repeating an impressive feat.
“When you’ve got horses and cattle and people, there are a lot of variables that have to go your way,” said Tarleton State head coach Mark Eakin. “It’s not like you run your best 11 players out on the field and compete.”
This team, however, is in a great position to overcome those long odds.
“As long as we draw well and don’t beat ourselves, it’s a great possibility,” Eakin said. “This team is very capable of repeating.”
Leading the six-man Tarleton State team are three competitors with experience at the CNFR in steer wrestler Landris White, tie-down roper Brayden Roe and saddle bronc rider Bailey Small.
White is headed to Casper for the second time. Last year’s CNFR reserve champion qualified this year as the regional steer wrestling champion.
He is certain the experience of this year’s team bodes well.
“It will help us a whole lot,” he said. “We know what to expect when we get up there. We know what it takes to win, and we know what we need to do to win another national title.”
White, a graduate student from Angleton, is one of three who will represent Tarleton State for the final time. He was a key reason why the team won eight of 10 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southwest Region regular season stops.
“We were all focused on getting back to the CNFR,” he said. “This will be the last time several of us will be eligible to qualify. We knew if we wanted to be national champions again, we had to take care of business starting with the very first rodeo of the season.”
Roe, who was part of Tarleton State’s national championship team in 2022, is another graduate student winding up his college rodeo career. He took the regional reserve championship, accumulating third-place finishes at Ranger College and Odessa College.
Taking a businesslike approach, he said he won’t alter his routine in the run-up to Casper.
Naturally, he wants that second title.
“That’s the plan. We have as good a chance as anybody if we just go do our job.”
Small, now a three-time qualifier to the CNFR, is confident in his teammates and their ability to repeat as national champs.
“Having guys who have qualified in the past is a huge benefit for the team,” he said. “We have a lot of the same guys who won the championship last year. These are some of the most talented guys I know. They know how to ride and how to rodeo.”
Tarleton State freshman Waitley Sharon earned his first trip to Casper by winning the Southwest Region saddle bronc title. He took top honors at the regular season Clarendon College rodeo and was a top-three finisher twice on his way to the regional crown.
Excited at the prospect of being on a national championship team, he is already working to keep up with the Tarleton State veterans.
“I’m getting all the practice horses I can and going to all the good rodeos I can,” he said. “I’m trying to keep a positive mindset and keep in mind this is just another rodeo. I have to take every horse one jump at a time and use whatever I draw to make the best ride I can.”
Saddle bronc riders Coleman Shallbetter and Montgomery Parsons took third and fourth in the regular season and are each making their first appearance in the CNFR.
Shallbetter was first at Odessa College and Sul Ross State on his way to qualifying for Casper.
The Gunnison, Colo., native was aware of the team’s experience when he signed with Tarleton State.
“That’s the reason I came to school here,” he said. “I was traveling and rodeoing with those guys, and they just sort of talked me into it. It’s such an honor to be part of this team.”
What would it mean to him to be part of back-to-back titles?
“That would be awesome,” he said. “It’d be great to check that off the list.”
Parsons’ fourth-place regional finish came on the strength of four top 10 efforts, including a championship at the Ranger College Rodeo.
Even with his 2024-25 regular season success, the Springdale, Ark., senior recognizes the value of being around those who have been here before.
“It helps having those guys who know the ropes,” he said. “They are there to kind of coach us through it and keep us on the right track.”
He has had conversations about the opportunity now in front of the Tarleton State team.
“We’ve all visited about it, and we’re just going to keep doing the same things we’ve been doing — just take it one horse at a time and make sure everyone has their head on right.”
When all is said and done, the championship will, of course, be won in the arena, but experience and confidence will be part of the equation.“We have a great group of guys going this year,” White said. “We can pull this off. The hard part is getting there. Now is the fun part.”
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.