Bareback rider Garrett Shadbolt of Merriman, who had been sidelined since early February after having surgery to remove a bone spur on his left hip, launched his comeback by winning the event at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte the third week of June.
Shadbolt scored 87.5 points while riding Sweet Tequila to win $3,913. He said by telephone that he was pleased with the victory and was planning go strong over the Fourth of July and beyond in an effort to make up for lost time.
The Merriman cowboy has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo four times and had the 2026 season off to a strong start before having surgery. He was fourth in the bareback standings with earnings of about $28,000 when he was forced to take the break.
Garrett Shadbolt
Even with his good fortune in North Platte, he’s now 29th in the current standings with about $36,000 in his bank account, a long ways from the top 15 that it takes to qualify for the NFR. The bareback rider currently in 15th place has won nearly $60,000.
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The other two regional contestants who also qualified for the NFR last December are also behind last year’s pace, but also have had some recent success.
Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, who is seeking to qualify for the unprecedented 20th straight year in the barrel race, was 22nd when the latest standing were released on June 24 with $38,768 in her account. Last year on June 25, she was 13th with $41,000, meaning she’s won about as much money as last year, but more of her rivals are also faring well.
This past week, Lockhart warmed up for the array of Fourth of July rodeos by placing second in the barrels at Clear Lake, S.D., and third at the Buffalo Stampede at Kadoka, S.D., to earn more than $3,000.
The third national qualifier last year was Riley Pruitt of Gering in tie down roping. He’s currently 38th in the standings with just over $30,000 in winnings after being 14th with $52,000 entering July a year ago. However, Pruitt won first at the Elizabeth, Colo., Rodeo in early June to earn $2,300 and this past weekend was second during Roughrider Days at Dickinson, N.D., to pick up $2,200.
Grant Turek of St. Paul, Neb., who graduated with honors from Chadron State College in 2024, placed third in tiedown at Dickinson, good for $1,900.
