In his first trip back to the NFR Open since its Kissimmee days, Riley Pruitt made his return count with a final-round 8.6-second run to take the win in Colorado Springs and walk away with a $15,250 payday.

To punch his ticket to Colorado Springs, Pruitt first secured the 2024 Mountain States Circuit year-end title by more than $17,000. Once there, he worked his way through Bracket 2 with a 9.8-second run in Round 2, good for $2,250 and a spot in the finals. Pruitt stopped the clock at 8.6-seconds in the final round to seal the deal and snag the $13,000 check that came with it.

“The win felt really good,” Pruitt said. “I had roped and made some really good runs at Calgary and was fighting my head of what to do from there. I decided to come home and bring my white horse home.”

Pruitt’s Horsepower

That “white horse” is the same one he relied on to dominate the Mountain States Circuit last fall—an 8-year-old gelding registered as Trouble At The Rodeo, aka Snowman. Pruitt opted to climb aboard Miles Garwood’s palomino mare, Siouxs Prescription—better known as Esther—for the short round in Colorado Springs.

“I decided to get on that yellow mare there,” Pruitt said. “She was good for me on my first one. I didn’t draw very good but got by one. My second one was a good one and I just had faith in her.”

Pruitt did what he needed to do to stay alive in the bracket, then hit the road again before the finals.

“I went to Gunnison the next night and she was good for me there on a strong one,” Pruitt said. “Then I went back to the short round. I was second out and there were some guys behind me that rope really well. So I just made my run and did the best I could.”

That run was 8.6 seconds flat—and it held.

“A few of those other guys had some tough luck,” Pruitt said. “It opened up the door for me to win it.”

Support System Powers the Summer Run

Behind the win was a team effort. Pruitt credits his family with helping him keep the wheels turning—literally.

“My wife pulled a trailer and hauled a horse for me for a few days,” Pruitt said. “Her dad helped me and drove another rig to Calgary for me and helped me drive to Cheyenne after that.”

After roping in Colorado Springs on July 12, Pruitt hauled through the night to make the Calgary Stampede short round on July 13.

“I’m lucky enough to have a great team behind me,” Pruitt said. “They made it possible.”

Now sitting eighth in the PRCA world standings with $94,123, Pruitt knows what’s at stake—but he’s staying grounded.

“The job’s not over yet,” Pruitt said. “Still got a long way to go. I’m just taking it one calf at a time.”