CASPER, Wyo. — All four bronc riders on the Tarleton State University men’s rodeo team posted top-10 scores in Sunday’s “Bulls, Broncs and Breakaway,” the official start of the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyo. 

Saddle bronc rider Gus Gaillard led the squad with a fourth-place 78.5 in the opening round, followed by Ira Dickinson’s eighth-place 74 and a 73.5 from Bailey Small, good for ninth. Bareback rider Roedy Farrell’s 78 earned seventh place.

Tarleton State’s barrel racers Jordan Driver and Hadley Tidwell made their first appearances this morning in Casper. Driver’s 14.39 in the cloverleaf, good for 17th, was just a quarter-second off the pace set by Taycie Matthews of the University of West Alabama. Tarleton’s Tidwell flashed a 14.97 on her opening run.

Competition in Casper continues today as Small, Gaillard, Farrell, Tidwell and Driver take their second rides of the week. Tarleton State steer wrestler Landris White and goat tyers Rayme Jones and Tori Brower will make their first appearances.

All performances of the CNFR, which runs through Saturday, will air on ESPN3, available on the ESPN app or on ESPN.com. Performances will stream live and replay the following day.

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.