There’s no easy road to the top—but at the 2025 World Championship Junior Rodeo in Guthrie, Oklahoma, two young cowboys made it look like a straight shot down the middle.
Youth Division: Hagen Spiva’s Hercules-Led Reign
Fifteen-year-old Hagen Spiva of Vega, Texas, locked in the 2025 WCJR Youth World Champion tie-down roping title with 11,927.75 points—more than 5,200 ahead of the nearest challenger. His week in Guthrie capped off a season of consistency, earning him $1,860.80 and a world title.
“It feels awesome,” Spiva smiled. “I had a few mistakes that kept me from winning first in a couple of rounds, but overall it was a good week. I won quite a bit of money.”
The unsung hero behind Spiva’s big win? A gelding named Hercules.
“He’s my good horse that I’ve had for three years,” Spiva said. “He’s been truly amazing. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
Spiva’s not just done with the Youth division—he’s leveling up. The 15-year-old will graduate to the Junior division next year and already has his eye on another world title.
“I’ll probably try nominating at all the rodeos again,” Spiva said. “As many as I can. I want to see if I can get number one again next year.”
As for the cash he earned in Guthrie?
“Oh, it’s going back to entry fees,” Spiva laughed. “I’ll probably just keep entering and keep going.”
Junior Division: Myles Nixon Doubles Down
In the Junior division, it was Myles Nixon’s world—and the rest were just tying calves in it. Nixon rolled into Guthrie with a mountain of points and rolled out with two world titles to his name: the Junior WCJR tie-down roping title and the Junior WCJR all-around title.
Nixon earned 28,491 points in the tie-down roping—beating the runner-up by a jaw-dropping 17,843.25—and racked up 28,620.50 points overall to snag the all-around win. His efforts in Guthrie earned him $1,876.80.
“It feels pretty good,” Nixon said. “To get here, I went to all the Chris Neal and Dirk Webb ropings that I could. I nominated all of them, tried to make the best runs I could and it paid off.”
In Round 1, Nixon turned in a solid 9.6-second run, despite a few hiccups. But it was Round 2 that sealed the deal—his 8.81 was good enough to take the round win and cement his place in the finals. There, Nixon made a 9.0-second run.
“I didn’t have the run I wanted to have in the finals,” Nixon said. “I jerked the calf down, but I was able to get him up and be 9.0.”
Quiet and humble, Nixon saved his biggest praise for those who supported him at the 2025 WCJR.
“My family’s been a big support,” Nixon said. “I also want to thank my sponsors. They always support me, too.”
What’s he going to do with the earnings?
“Rodeo,” Nixon said. Plain and simple.