The 14-time Wrangler NFR Qualifier Shane Hanchey celebrated his first Father’s Day with a ProRodeo win after taking the championship at the weekend’s most lucrative event, the Dinosaur Round-Up.

Hanchey, 2013 PRCA World Champion, became a dad with the birth of son Stran Jacob on May 20, 2024.

“It puts lots of things in perspective,” Hanchey, 34, said of being a new dad. “Roping is still important but nothing is as important as that little boy.”

Hanchey entered the weekend ranked 32nd in the PRCA | RAM World Standings after being without the services of his great horse Stylish Bugsy, the 2023 PRCA/AQHA Horse of the Year who was injured at the 2023 NFR, all winter and spring.

“You have to scroll down pretty far in the standings to find my name but I’ve been in worse positions before and I’ve been in better,” Hanchey noted.

His 7.9-second run in Vernal came during the Wednesday slack, June 12 and held on to win the rodeo by a full second.

“It was much needed; it was good,” Hanchey said. “I had a re-run in the slack. I was the first one with a re-run and that was key. I knew I had a good calf . . . I didn’t know he was win the rodeo by a full-second good but he was really good.”

Shane Hanchey’s horse situation

Hanchey rode River, registered Rollin On The River, a five-year old gelding owned by Walter Johnson.

“We’ve won a ton on him at the futurities and between that and now the rodeos, he’s got probably $200,000 in earnings,” Hanchey said. “I’ve had him since the end of his three-year old year. He’s just easy and sure doesn’t act like he’s just five.”

With Bugsy on the mend but Hanchey determined not to bring him back too soon and risk further injury, he’ll rely on River and another futurity horse, Jewels, registered Sheer Can Do, that he bought from Jason Schaffer in Montana for his summer run.

“She’s a daughter of Cat Man Do and is really good,” Hanchey said. “I’ll be riding her at the bigger ones like Reno, St. Paul and Calgary.”

Hanchey banked $4,512 in Vernal, enough to leap all the way to 26th in the standings. Though he’s got ground to make up if he wants a 15th NFR on his resume this year, the veteran isn’t sweating it.

“This is the youngest crop of horses I’ve taken out for the summer trying to make the Finals but I’ve got lots of confidence in them,” he noted.

“There’s so much money to be won in the summer,” Hanchey continued. “Trevor Brazile used to say if a guy had $10-$15,000 won by Reno, he had a chance to make the Finals and I think it’s even more true with all the money to be won now.”

It’s a wonder Hanchey has time to rodeo as the entrepreneur keeps so many irons in the fire.

Shane Hanchey’s entrepreneurial tendencies

He is a co-founder of Gold Buckle Futurities, which just wrapped their big spring event last month and has another in the fall. He also is showing a lot of horses in the booming futurity business, which gets busy again in July and August.

Along with wife Taylor, Hanchey also run Bo’s Boil N Geaux, a Cajun food trailer offering service in their home of Giddings, Texas. He also serves on the PRCA Contestant Executive Council as the Tie Down Representative.

Add to all of that the birth of the couple’s first son just one month ago. Luckily, Momma Taylor is getting back in the saddle soon too so the couple can rodeo together.

“She’s entered up,” Hanchey noted of Taylor, an NFR qualifier herself in both the barrel racing and breakaway roping.

“I’m excited [for the summer],” Hanchey said. “Any excuse to get out of the Texas heat and especially with Stran. We’ll be going together as much as we can so I’ll get to be with that baby boy.”

Weekend Recap

As predicted, the week of June 9-16 provide the last chance for a quiet, easy weekend for ProRodeo calf ropers readying for a big summer run and most took advantage by staying home with 12 of the top 20 ropers showing no earnings for the week.

World leader Shad Mayfield hit just one rodeo, but continued the efficiency saw him pick up $2,707 at the Dinosaur Round-Up in Vernal, Utah.

Likewise, reigning World Champ, and third ranked roper, Riley Webb also saved his efforts only for the Playoff Series stop, taking a share of second with Quade Hiatt and Michael Otero to bank $3,509. That marked the biggest gain for those inside the top 20 and held Webb at third. but closing on the leaders.

For Hiatt, the windfall helped him jump inside the top 20, moving from 21st to 16th.

Kincade Henry was the only other roper to move within the elite top 20, using a good Vernal check to move three spots from 22nd up to 19th.

North of the border, Beau Cooper continued to dominate, sharing the win in Innisfail, Alberta with reigning Canadian champ Haven Meged while also placing at the Stavely Indoor Rodeo.

Fellow Canadian Kyle Lucas took the title in Stavely. As Canadian Pro Rodeo results start to finally be counted—there is always a bit of a delay before monies get counted into ProRodeo standings—Lucas saw his totals jump this week, landing him 30th in the standings.

Twenty-four year old Connor Matheson stole the show at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte, Nebraska. The Stephenville, Texas cowboy roped two calves in 19.5 seconds to bank $3,738.

Dupree, South Dakota cowboy Trey Young boosted his circuit standings with the win in Newtown, North Dakota. HIs 9.9-second effort earned him just over $2,000.

What’s Next

The stakes begin to rise with the temperatures in mid-June. The unofficial summer kick-off is here with the beginning of the Reno Rodeo and its $70,000-per event added money along with points towards the NFR Playoff Series on June 21.

This weekend brings another Playoff Series stop in Prineville, Oregon with the Crooked River Round-Up as well as a slew of other lucrative choices from Santa Ynez, California to Pleasant Grove, Utah to El Paso, Texas.

The Canadian Pro Rodeo season is also hitting its stride with big money available in Alberta at Wainwright and Sundre.

PRCA World Standings as of June 17, 2024