From a Northern California ranching family and the production side of rodeo to third in the Resistol Rookie of the Year race with $38,109 won, 20-year-old Colton Suther has spent his first year on a PRCA card proving he belongs among the best tie-down ropers in the game.
Colton Suther grew up around rodeo long before he ever backed into the box at a ProRodeo, raised in a ranching family in Palo Cedro, California, where his dad worked the production side of the sport alongside stock contractor Jeff Davis of Four Star Rodeo Company—a man Suther considers family.
“I grew up in a ranching family here in Northern California,” Suther said. “Neither one of my parents really competed in rodeo, but I was around rodeo my whole time growing up. My dad helps a guy who’s pretty much like my uncle out here. I was around the production side growing up, junior rodeoed, high school rodeoed, and then that grew to amateur rodeoing and now pro rodeoing.”
Suther team roped through high school and his amateur years and even bulldogged his senior year, but tie-down roping was the event that got him out of bed in the morning.
“I’m kind of a taller, lengthier guy and I thought roping calves is what fit me the best, and that’s what drove me to practice,” Suther said. “I never really liked practicing team roping. It was fun and all, but it just didn’t drive me to get up and rope every day. It drove me to get up and flank and tie.”
Big Winter at Denver and Odessa
Suther spent the last two winters in Stephenville, Texas, working toward buying his card, and he didn’t buy it to stay home. He stopped the clock at 8.0 seconds to win the opening round of tie-down roping at Denver’s National Western Stock Show for $4,919, his single biggest check of the year. A week earlier at Odessa’s Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo, he won the second round for $2,245 and placed second in the average for another $2,929.
“I hit a good lick a couple of the early rodeos, Denver and Odessa, and it gave me some confidence to keep rolling through the year,” Suther said.
The California Run
Then came the spring California run, where the kid who grew up on the production end knew the arenas and the crowd. Suther won the average at the Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo for $2,675, split the Red Bluff Round-Up semifinals for $2,270, and cashed at Clovis, Thermal, Livermore, Merced, Santa Maria and Rowell Ranch through the spring.
“I had a really good spring out here in California at the spring rodeos and the circuit rodeos, and it’s been really good,” Suther said. “Just good to be home where you know everybody and see everybody, and be comfortable at them.”
That run has Suther at $38,108 on the year and No. 39 in the tie-down roping world standings, third in the Resistol Rookie of the Year race behind Kyan Wilhite ($89,741) and Brody Clemens ($72,046).
Suther’s Horsepower
Suther is traveling with NFR Qualifier Tom Crouse and a string of two horses he trusts. His main mount is a sorrel 9-year-old gelding, Nics Diamond Pepto, “Tuff,” he bought from good friends Kolby and Miley Bravos about a year and a half ago, backed up by Gunna Hava Whizkey, “Whiskey,” a 10-year-old gelding he bought from Trevor Hale this spring.
“He’s just a good, honest horse. He never costs you a chance to win,” Suther said of “Tuff.” “He’s always in your corner and he fits my style pretty good.”
A Tough Rookie Class
Suther knows the 2026 rookie class won’t hand anything over. Kyan Wilhite, Brody Clemens, Sam Lewis and Ace Reese are all roping well and winning across the country.
“Super great rookie class this year,” Suther said. “It’s nose to the grindstone to keep going and keep winning, because those guys dang sure are going to be winning everywhere.”
What’s Next for Colton Suther
If there’s a lesson from Suther’s first trip around the country, it’s to keep his eyes up the road.
“It’s not easy and you’ve got to keep grinding, and the mindset about everything is where it’s at,” Suther said. “You can’t dwell on what’s already happened. Like Joe Beaver said, there’s a reason the windshield’s bigger than the rearview mirror.”