Posted by By Lillian Landreth
At 18 years old, Texas native Riley Webb already has three trips to The American Rodeo under his belt.
During his most recent visit to AT&T Stadium, the young tie-down roper progressed to the final round and a chance at $2.1 million, where he finished third amongst the veteran field of Caleb Smidt, Hunter Herrin, and Tuf Cooper.
Another teenager, Devin Young, made the final round as well in the barrel racing. “It may be my first year (in the PRCA), but now that I’ve been pro rodeoing a little bit, it’s just down to whoever does their job best that day,” Riley explains. “But it is kind of cool to get down to the four-man round with three guys who made it the NFR many times, and be the guy right there with them.”
Electric Experience
It’s the farthest Riley has advanced in The American so far. He qualified for the rodeo when he won the tie-down roping at the 2021 Junior NFR last July. Riley and his trusty gelding Titus worked their way through The American Contender round into sixth place with a 7.92, followed by a 7.50 in the Semi-Finals, which put Riley in third going into the final round. He finished in third place with a 7.8, and although his gaze was fixed on winning, Riley was still pleased with his runs and experiencing the electric atmosphere of The American again. His family contributed to the excited audience, with aunts, uncles, cousins, and his parents Jennifer and Dirk Webb—the manager of The American Rodeo—all cheering him on.
“That magnitude of rodeo that all my family could come to and cheer me on at was really special.”
Riley Webb
And the excitement wasn’t over for Riley in early March, who left for Arcadia, Fla., soon after The American. There, he secured his first NFR Playoff Series win at the 94th Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship. The 7.7-second run earned him $4,822 and propelled him into first place in the Resistol Rookie tie-down roping standings.
About the Author
Lillian Landreth is a freelance writer and editor. She particularly enjoys writing about rodeo and the extraordinary people and animals who make the lifestyle fascinating. The author of more than 1,000 stories, her writing has appeared in the Rodeo News; The Ketchpen, published by the Rodeo Historical Society and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum; and local newspapers. She is also working on her first novel. When she’s not writing, Lily enjoys riding with the Snake River Stampeders night light drill team, coaching the EhCapa Bareback Riders, a PRCA specialty act, and teaching horseback riding lessons. She makes her home in Southwest Idaho with her entrepreneurial husband, their dog, horse, and cows.
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