Shane Hanchey’s 16th consecutive NFR qualification came down to the very last rodeo, and it was the most stressful one yet.
When the 2025 ProRodeo regular season ended, Hanchey held the No. 15 spot with $126,956—just $1,634 ahead of Quade Hiatt’s $125,322.
“For whatever reason, this was the toughest one yet,” Hanchey said. “Sixteen in a row means more just because of how hard it was to get.”
Pressure in Sioux Falls
Saturday night at the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls brought the most pressure Hanchey had felt all year.
“I knew if I made the top eight and guaranteed myself $4,000, I had a chance to sneak in,” Hanchey said. “But I wanted to be in the final four. I wanted to win it.”
In the 8-man round, Hanchey drew the same calf John Douch had won the second round on. It was the kind of chance you hope for, but Hanchey bobbled.
“I really thought I had made the final four until I got caught between going one wrap or two,” Hanchey said. “I just messed it up.”
The $30,000 Gamble
That meant it was San Bernardino or bust.
His wife, Taylor—also an NFR qualifier in barrel racing and breakaway—reminded him the California rodeo was still an option.
“I had completely forgotten that San Bernardino started at six o’clock West Coast time,” Hanchey said. “I started calling plane charter companies, and the only one that could do it told me it would be $2,200 just to hold the crew, and $30,000 if I actually needed the flight.”
The gamble was steep. Hanchey teamed up with steer wrestler Gavin Soileau, who was also chasing the No. 15 spot.
“I told him the place was expensive, and he said, ‘I don’t care how much it is, I want on it,’” Hanchey said.
The charter left Sioux Falls that Sunday and landed in California at 5:40 p.m.—just 20 minutes before the performance started in San Bernardino.
“There was traffic, there was stress, but San Bernardino had the sheriffs waiting,” Hanchey said. “They escorted us straight in and dropped us off behind the boxes as they were singing the National Anthem.”
A Whirlwind in San Bernardino
The stakes couldn’t have been higher. Hanchey jumped on Ty Harris’ mare, Sally, and was first out in the calf roping.
“I wasn’t nervous, I was excited,” Hanchey said. “I saw my start, but I missed the barrier just a hair, caught a leg and it happened so fast. I just took the no-time.”
Hiatt followed with a 9.1-second run that looked like it sealed the deal.
“I looked back at Ty and said, ‘I didn’t make the NFR,’” Hanchey said. “Literally right after that, they flagged Quade out for the calf getting up, and Ty told me, ‘No, you just made the NFR.’ It was a whirlwind of emotions.”
Hiatt’s Grace
What struck Hanchey most wasn’t the relief but Hiatt’s sportsmanship.
“I’m telling you what, Quade Hiatt is a great human being,” Hanchey said. “We crossed paths 30 minutes after our runs when I was leaving the hospitality tent. He was coming in, and he could have walked right by me and not said a word, and I would have been fine with that. But he stopped me, looked me in the eye, shook my hand and congratulated me.”
Hiatt didn’t stop there, he took it one step farther.
“I could tell when he walked off that he was a little emotional,” Hanchey said. “He texted me later that night and said, ‘Shane, you’re one of the greatest of all time for the generation before me. I’ve looked up to you for so long and learned a lot from you. Congratulations on the 16 straight, you’re a dog.’ That right there shows me what kind of character that kid’s got, and he gained a friend and a fan for life just in the way he handled things.”
Bugsy Back in the Game
The 2025 season as a whole was a constant grind for Hanchey.
“Honestly, I had a lot going on besides rodeo—being a dad, putting on junior ropings, young horses, the food trailer,” Hanchey said. “For a while I felt scatterbrained, just stretched too thin.”
The winter run didn’t help. He won only $1,800 in Fort Worth and not a dime at his favorite rodeo, San Antonio.
“Confidence-wise, I didn’t have any,” Hanchey said. “I remember deciding I had to get Bugsy ready for Houston and just pour everything into him.”
That decision turned his season. Stylish Bugsy—the 2023 AQHA Horse of the Year—carried him to the final four in Houston for $15,750, then added $8,915 in Austin.
“That got me in the game,” Hanchey said. “I tried to bring Bugsy back last fall, but he wasn’t the same. I gave him the winter off, and when I got on him at Houston, he was back. He’s the reason I made the Finals.”
Faith, Family and Perspective
By August, Hanchey felt like he was hanging on by a thread.
“Since Caldwell I felt like I was just hanging on,” Hanchey said. “I wanted to just get to a certain number and be done, and that number just kept getting farther and farther away.”
In those moments, he leaned on Taylor and their son, Stran.
“Stran doesn’t care if I finish 15th or 16th,” Hanchey said. “He’s just excited about every day. That perspective is what kept me sane.”
Faith steadied him, too.
“I kept telling myself, this isn’t who we are, it’s what we do,” Hanchey said. “You’ve got to trust God and rely on your faith to get you through. The last two weeks were some of the most stressful of my entire career, but tough times don’t last—tough people do.”
What’s Next for Hanchey?
At 36, Hanchey knows what it means to still be in the game.
“When I started, $70,000 put you comfortably in the top 15,” Hanchey said. “This year it took $127,000 just to squeak in. That shows you how much rodeo has grown—the money, the talent. There are 30 or 40 guys who could’ve made it.”
Like many other ProRodeo veterans, Hanchey looks at the standings in awe.
“The top two guys have almost $600,000 between them,” Hanchey said. “Riley Webb could hit half a million this year. I wish I was 26 again instead of 36, because there’s never been more money out there.”
For now, Hanchey turns to December with Bugsy healthy and ready.
“It’s special to have him back after the injury in Vegas in 2023,” Hanchey said. “He’s my plan for the Finals.”
Between the Shane Hanchey Invitational roping, the upcoming Gold Buckle Futurity and family time at home, his fall is already full.
“Everybody thinks you get a break, but I’ve been working young horses since I got back home,” Hanchey said. “Now I’ve got to get in the gym, get back in shape, and be ready to beat on these young kids in December.”
Sixteen straight NFRs don’t come easy, and no one knows that better than Shane Hanchey.