The 96th Sheridan WYO Rodeo ran July 8–11, 2026 at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. Jake Clay took the all-around title with $8,892; Brody Wells posted the rodeo's highest roughstock score at 91 points in the saddle bronc. It was the first edition held under the event's new name, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and World Championship Indian Relay. The next running is July 14–17, 2027.
Sheridan WYO Rodeo 2026 Recap & Results
The 96th edition, July 8–11, 2026. Who won, what happened during rodeo week, and what the record does not yet show.
Dalton Goodyear · August 2026 · 7 min read
Looking for the next rodeo? It's July 14–17, 2027
This page is a record of the 2026 running, which is over. Confirmed by the Sheridan WYO Rodeo organizing committee: July 14–17, 2027. For dates, tickets, the week's schedule and lodging, see the 97th Sheridan WYO Rodeo and World Championship Indian Relay guide at wyostays.com/experience/wyo-rodeo.
Saddle bronc rider Brody Wells posted a 91-point ride to take the richest single-event check of the 96th Sheridan WYO Rodeo, which ran July 8–11, 2026 at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. It was the first edition held under the event's new official name — the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and World Championship Indian Relay — adopted by the organizing board on April 22, 2026.
Here is what happened, with results as published by the rodeo organization and Sheridan-area media.
Who won the 2026 Sheridan WYO Rodeo?
Jake Clay won the 2026 all-around title with $8,892 earned across team roping and steer roping, according to results published by the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Eight event champions were crowned across the four performances.
| Event | Winner | Score / Time | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Around | Jake Clay | — | $8,892 |
| Saddle Bronc Riding | Brody Wells | 91 points | $7,360 |
| Barrel Racing | Makenzie Mayes | 16.84 seconds | $8,844 |
| Bareback Riding | Daxtyn Feild | 87.5 points | $7,438 |
| Bull Riding | Stetson Dell Wright | 87 points | $7,191 |
| Tie-Down Roping (avg.) | John Douch | 18.2 sec. on two head | $5,657 |
| Team Roping (avg.) | Brye Crites / Ross Ashford | 11.7 sec. on two head | $5,281 each |
| Steer Wrestling (avg.) | Jesse Brown and Tyler Scheevel (tie) | 9.8 sec. on two head | $4,677 each |
| Steer Roping (avg.) | Roger Nonella | 49.3 sec. on four head | $4,432 |
Source: Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Results & Past Winners.
Two results are worth pausing on. Brody Wells's 91 points in the saddle bronc was the highest score recorded in any roughstock event at the 2026 rodeo. And the steer wrestling average ended in a dead tie — Jesse Brown and Tyler Scheevel both stopped the clock at 9.8 seconds on two head and split the win.
Breakaway roping results for 2026 were not published on the sources we could access. See the gaps section below.
Who won the World Championship Indian Relay in 2026?
The 2026 World Championship Indian Relay champion was not published by any source we could access, and we are not going to guess at it. The relay ran nightly ahead of each PRCA performance, as it has in Sheridan since 1997.
What is confirmed about the 2026 relay is that it introduced a new award. On July 11, 2026, the championship presented its first-ever MVP buckle, awarded by Erin E. Mitchell, senior producer of the documentary Outriding the Devil, according to Native News Online (July 9, 2026). The buckle was created to recognize athleticism, courage, and the cultural significance of the sport.
Mitchell, quoted in that report, called Indian Relay "America's original extreme sport," and said: "Every American Indian alive today has outridden the devil."
The relay's prominence is the reason the event's name changed three months before the 2026 rodeo. In announcing the rename on April 22, 2026, the board cited its long collaboration with Indian Relay and Native American communities, the growth of the sport, and its contribution to both the rodeo and the city of Sheridan. The board also noted that 2025 brought record attendance and payouts exceeding $515,000, and that a women's relay division had been added.
A caution for anyone researching this event
Several widely-circulated galleries and results pages dated to summer 2025 surface in searches for 2026. The Crow Creek Sioux team that won at Sheridan — rider Kaliber Pickner, mugger Mason Redwing, holders Christian Bishop and Jackson Rockwood — won the 2025 title, per The Sheridan Press gallery published July 17, 2025. That is not a 2026 result.
What happened during 2026 rodeo week?
Rodeo week ran July 6–12, 2026, with the four championship performances July 8–11 and the Main Street Parade on Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m. The parade theme was "Star Spangled WYO," chosen to mark the national semiquincentennial, and it ran from Main and Dow south, west at Works Street, and north on Brooks to finish at Dow.
The parade's grand prize went to entry #71, the First Peoples Pow Wow, per Sheridan Media (July 10, 2026). Category winners included:
| Category | First place |
|---|---|
| Bands / Drill Units | Wyoming All State Marching Band |
| Commercial | A-Line Roofing & Exteriors |
| Community Groups | SHS Class of '96 |
| Costume & Mounted Individual | Miss Sheridan WYO Rodeo — Isabelle Yellowtail |
| Horse / Mounted Unit Groups | Sheridan WYO Rodeo Wranglers with Flags |
| Tax-Exempt Organization | Westview HealthCare |
| Youth Organization | Youth, Inc. |
| Novelty — Group | Weaver Family |
| Novelty — Individual | Rich Urbatchka |
Source: Sheridan Media, 2026 WYO Rodeo Parade Winners, July 10, 2026.
Sheridan Media also reported that some parade entries faced disqualification for distributing candy along the route, a safety rule the organizers enforced.
Total 2026 attendance and total payout figures had not been published as of this writing. For context on scale — and this is a 2025 figure, not 2026 — the rodeo drew a then-record 24,975 across the four nights in 2025, per Sheridan Media (July 22, 2025).
When is the next Sheridan WYO Rodeo?
The 97th Sheridan WYO Rodeo and World Championship Indian Relay is scheduled for July 14–17, 2027, confirmed on the rodeo's own About page: "Join us July 14-17 2027 for the 97th Sheridan WYO Rodeo & World Championship Indian Relay Races."
Tickets are sold only through sheridanwyorodeo.com. The organization states that ticket information is released each spring; a specific 2027 on-sale date has not been announced.
Also not yet announced for 2027: the parade date and time, the Sneakers & Spurs 5K, the Boot Kick-Off, carnival hours, the relay purse and team field, and any format changes. Only the four performance dates are published. Anyone planning around the surrounding events should wait for the official 2027 schedule rather than assume the 2026 pattern repeats — the performance dates alone moved a full week later between 2026 and 2027.
What we could not confirm
In the interest of getting this right rather than getting it complete: the following were searched and not found in accessible published sources as of August 12, 2026.
- · 2026 breakaway roping winner, time, and payout
- · 2026 World Championship Indian Relay champion team, nation, and placings
- · Actual relay purse paid versus the advertised $90,000
- · 2026 women's relay division results
- · How many of the 20 invited relay teams competed
- · 2026 traditional regalia award winner
- · Total 2026 attendance and total 2026 payout
- · 2026 Sneakers & Spurs 5K results
- · 2026 parade grand marshal
The Sheridan Press published a 2026 results article behind a subscription wall that likely contains several of these. It is the best next place to look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jake Clay won the 2026 all-around title with $8,892 earned across team roping and steer roping, according to results published by the Sheridan WYO Rodeo. Eight event champions were crowned across the four performances. Brody Wells posted 91 points in the saddle bronc — the highest roughstock score of the rodeo — and the steer wrestling average ended in a dead tie between Jesse Brown and Tyler Scheevel at 9.8 seconds on two head.
The 2026 World Championship Indian Relay champion was not published by any source we could access, so we are not naming one. The relay ran nightly ahead of each PRCA performance, as it has in Sheridan since 1997. What is confirmed is that the 2026 championship presented its first-ever MVP buckle on July 11, 2026, awarded by Erin E. Mitchell, senior producer of the documentary Outriding the Devil, per Native News Online. Note that widely-circulated relay galleries dated summer 2025 surface in searches for 2026 — the Crow Creek Sioux win was the 2025 title, not 2026.
Rodeo week ran July 6–12, 2026, with the four championship performances July 8–11 and the Main Street Parade on Friday, July 10 at 10 a.m. The parade theme was "Star Spangled WYO," chosen to mark the national semiquincentennial. Grand prize went to entry #71, the First Peoples Pow Wow, per Sheridan Media. Total 2026 attendance and total payout figures had not been published as of this writing.
The 97th Sheridan WYO Rodeo and World Championship Indian Relay is scheduled for July 14–17, 2027, confirmed on the rodeo's own About page. Tickets are sold only through sheridanwyorodeo.com, and a specific 2027 on-sale date has not been announced. The parade, the Sneakers & Spurs 5K, the Boot Kick-Off, carnival hours and the relay field are also unannounced for 2027 — only the four performance dates are published. The performance dates moved a full week later between 2026 and 2027, so do not assume the 2026 pattern repeats.
Sources
- · Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Results & Past Winners — sheridanwyorodeo.com/results/ (accessed Aug 12, 2026)
- · Sheridan WYO Rodeo, About — sheridanwyorodeo.com/about/ (accessed Aug 12, 2026)
- · Sheridan WYO Rodeo, official name change announcement, April 22, 2026 — sheridanwyorodeo.com
- · Sheridan WYO Rodeo, 2026 Parade: Star Spangled WYO, March 10, 2026 — sheridanwyorodeo.com
- · Sheridan Media, 2026 WYO Rodeo Parade Winners, July 10, 2026 (Tommy B) — sheridanmedia.com
- · Sheridan Media, Sheridan WYO Rodeo Winners and Payouts 2026, July 13, 2026 (Kevin Koile) — sheridanmedia.com
- · Sheridan Media, Record Setting Rodeo Attendance and Total Payout, July 22, 2025 — sheridanmedia.com (2025 figure, cited as context only)
- · Native News Online, Outriding the Devil to Present First-Ever MVP Buckle, July 9, 2026 — nativenewsonline.net
- · The Sheridan Press, World Championship Indian Relay Race gallery, July 17, 2025 — thesheridanpress.com (2025 result, cited as a correction)
How far is Sheridan? Drive times
| From | Distance | Drive time | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo, WY | 35 miles | ~35 min | I-90 north |
| Gillette, WY | ~103 miles | ~1 hr 30 min | I-90 west |
| Billings, MT | ~130 miles | ~2 hr | I-90 south |
| Casper, WY | ~149 miles | ~2 hr 15 min | I-25 north to I-90 |
Billings Logan (BIL) is the nearest major airport at roughly two hours north. Sheridan County Airport (SHR) sits five miles from downtown and carries commercial service via Denver — routes and frequency change year to year, so check current schedules.
Updated August 2026. Event details change year to year — dates, hours, parking and admission should always be confirmed against sheridanwyorodeo.com before you travel. Wyo Stays is a lodging operator, not the organiser of this event.
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