Press Release | Buffalo Bill Rodeo
North Platte, Neb. (June 17, 2026) – The man who owns the arena record at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte has taken the lead in the bareback riding after the first night of rodeo action.
Garrett Shadbolt scored 87.5 points on the horse named Sweet Tequila, who is owned by Championship Rodeo.
The 30-year-old cowboy is a four-time qualifier to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, pro rodeo’s world championship, finishing in the top fifteen among bareback riders at the end of each of those years.
This year, Shadbolt is coming back from hip surgery in early February to fix a bone spur caused by riding bareback horses.
“Spurring bareback horses causes a lot of strained motion on your hips,” he said. Over the last couple of years, the spur has “got a little bit worse and a little bit worse, and my range of motion was getting a little bit tighter and a little bit tighter,” he said.
The bone spur really bothered him at the 2025 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, till he decided not to put off surgery anymore.
He hasn’t competed since surgery, four-plus months ago, with the goal of returning by mid-June for the North Platte rodeo.
After his ride, he waved jubilantly to the crowd.
“I’m usually not so show-boaty,” he said, “but I was so happy to make a good ride. I was nervous about my body falling apart, and when I got off that horse, I did a little health check. All the parts were moving, and I was feeling my oats.”
Shadbolt’s goal is to be among the top fifteen bareback riders in the world standings at the end of the rodeo season, on September 30, which qualifies him to compete at the Wrangler National Finals again.
Sitting out of rodeo for four months isn’t ideal, but he won money at the Fort Worth, Texas rodeo and the Chase Hawks Memorial in mid-December, before surgery, which helped.
“I’m about $20,000 out of being in the top fifteen (in the world standings). You get the right cards dealt to you, with the right horses, and I can make it back (into the top 15).“Really, at the end of July I’m usually at my peak bareback riding-wise, because I’m in shape, on a roll, rodeoing every day. We’re going to try to get back to that.”
Shadbolt set the arena record in 2021 with a 90 point ride. He’s won the Buffalo Bill Rodeo twice (2021-2022).
Other leaders after the day’s slack and the evening’s competition include steer wrestler Reed Kraeger, Waco, Neb. (leading the second round with a time of 5.3 seconds); tie-down roper Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. (10.5 seconds); saddle bronc rider Tyrel Roberts, Drayton, Alberta (84.5 points); team ropers Bodie Herring, Veteran, Wyo./Rio Nutter, Rapid City, S.D. (6.0 seconds); breakaway roper Madison Richmann, Keenesburg, Colo. (2.4 seconds); barrel racer Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D. (17.30 seconds); and bull rider Hayden Ferguson, Coldspring, Texas (78 points.)The 2027 Miss Rodeo Nebraska was announced during tonight’s rodeo. Kelsey Hutton, Yutan, Neb., won the title. The daughter of Wendi Harrison and Kent Hutton, she is a student at Oregon State University, studying environmental science. Her reign will begin on January 1, 2027 and she will represent Nebraska at the Miss Rodeo America pageant in December 2027.
The 2026 Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska was crowned on June 16. Samantha Starritt won the title.
The Buffalo Bill Rodeo continues with its second of four shows on Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 pm. Tickets range in price from $11 to $26 and are available online at www.NebraskalandDays.comand at the gate.- ### -Results, 1st Performance and slack, June 19, 2026North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback riding
1. Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, Neb. 87.5 points on Championship Rodeo’s Sweet Tequila; 2. (tie) Jess Pope. Waverly, Kan. and Cole Reiner, Buffalo, Wyo. 85 each; 4. Tim O’Connell, Cascade, Iowa 81.
Steer wrestling
1st round (this round was completed at the end of slack Wednesday)1. Gage Davis, Cody, Neb. 4.8 seconds; 2. Emmett Edler, State Center, Iowa 5.3; 3. Wynn Schaack, Wall, S.D. 5.6; 4. (tie) Jacob Edler, Alva, Okla. and Billy Boldon, Oglala, S.D. 5.8 each; 6. Austin Madison, Onawa, Iowa 6.0; 7. Adam Musil, Crescent, Okla. 6.4; 8. Tyler Byrne, Martin, S.D. 6.8.
2nd round1. Reed Kraeger, Waco, Neb. 5.3 seconds; 2. Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. 6.2; 3. Kade Kinsella, Ft. Yates, N.D. 8.5; 4. Joe Nelson, Watford City, N.D. 11.7.Tie-down roping1st round1. Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb. 10.5 seconds; 2. Jarvis Demery, Beggs, Okla. 10.9; 3. Zane Rampey, Pryor, Okla. 11.2; 4. JD McCuistion, Ft Collins, Colo. 11.3.
Saddle bronc riding
1. Tyrel Roberts, Drayton Valley, Alberta 84.5 points on Championship Rodeo’s Defunked; 2. Kyle Wanchuk, Stettler, Alberta 82.5; 3. Regan Lyons, Meandarra, Queensland, Australia 81; 4. Dahlyn Thomas, Woodward, Okla. 80.5.Breakaway roping1. Madison Richmann, Keenesburg, Colo. 2.4 seconds; 2. Amanda Terrell, LaSalle, Colo. 2.6; 3. Alissa Erickson, 2.9; 4. Kamie Crouse, Cushing, Okla. 3.0.
Team roping
1. Bodie Herring, Veteran, Wyo./Rio Nutter, Rapid City, S.D. 6.0 seconds; 2. Jace Johnson, New Town, N.D./Jace Crabb, New Town, N.D. 6.1; 3. Lucas Phillips, Selden, Kan./Dustin Harris, O’Neill, Neb. 6.2; 4. Riley Kittle, Woodland, Ala./Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo. 6.3.
Barrel racing
1. Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D. 17.31 seconds; 2. Lanita Peirce, Wynnewood, Okla. 17.49 seconds; 3. Alex Lang, 17.86; 4. Makenzie Mayes, Scroggins, Texas 17.89.Bull riding1. Hayden Ferguson, Coldspring, Texas 78 points on Championship Rodeo’s Jam Jam; no other qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.
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