2025 INFR: Matt Jodie, Creighton Curley, and Erin Jones capture world titles

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

LAS VEGAS, Nev.

The 2025 Indian National Finals Rodeo ended Saturday night with several Navajo contestants bringing home world titles and buckle honors from an intense week of competition at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center.

Among the champions were Matt Jodie (steer wrestling), Creighton Curley (saddle bronc), and Erin Jones (breakaway), who each captured gold buckles in their respective events. Jones added to her hardware by claiming the All-Around Cowgirl title, driving home a brand-new horse trailer.

Other notable finishers included breakaway roper Heather Rogers, bareback rider Evan Betony, team ropers Braydon Boyd and Denton Begay, and barrel racer Tara Seaton, all earning runner-up honors in their events.

Evan Betony tied with South Dakota’s Kashton Ford for first place in the final round, both posting scores of 86 points. But Betony finished five points shy of Ford in the average with 311 points with Ford winning the event with a 316 aggregate.

Clay Ramone placed fourth overall with 285 points while Alvaro Begay rounded out the top six with 229 points.

Cauy Betony, who had led the average race after the first two rounds, was disqualified in the final round for failing to mark out his horse for the second consecutive time, ending his title run.

Church Rock, New Mexico cowboy Matt Jodie captured his first INFR world title by capturing the steer wrestling crown. As the event winner, he threw down four steers in 24.22 seconds in a tight race for first.

On Saturday night, Jodie stopped the clock at 5.57 seconds for a second-place finish in the round as that was enough to edge out Tyler John Byrne by just 0.32 seconds.

“I’ve seen my dad and my brother Jeremiah win,” Jodie said. “I always wanted to win one, too.”

Tydon Tsosie, Rooster Yazzie, and Hiyo Yazzie all had strong starts early in the week but finished outside the top eight in the final standings.

Heather Rogers of Round Rock, Arizona finished just 0.7 seconds behind champion Megan Lunak of Browning, Montana, with a 14.11 aggregate. Lunak, meanwhile, roped four calves in 14.04 seconds for the world title.

Kassidy Dennison led the standings going into the final round by five seconds, but she missed her calf, resulting in a no time. Kadin Jodie finished fourth overall with a 14.35 aggregate, while Erin Jones recorded 25.19 seconds.

Creighton Curley continued his dominance in the saddle bronc, earning his second world title with 319 points, narrowly defeating Cash Wilson of Wall, South Dakota, by two points.

“The competition was tougher this time around,” Curley said. “I was just lucky enough to get a good draw to earn this win.”

Michael Williams from Lukachukai, Arizona, lost his chance at the title after failing to catch his calf in the final round, recording a no time in the tie-down event. Noah Haven placed eighth in the final round with 12.24 seconds as that helped him to a fourth-place effort in the aggregate of 64.34 seconds. Dean Holyan placed seventh overall by roping three of four calves in 30.18 seconds.

This year’s INFR featured a strong Navajo presence in the team roping field, with 16 of 32 headers and 17 of 32 heelers hailing from the Navajo Nation.

Braydon Boyd and Denton Begay finished second overall with 35.81-second aggregate. Cameron Kanuho and Scooter Garcia followed in third at 42.71 seconds while Rory Billie and Jace Smith rounded out the top four at 45.37 seconds.

In a tight race, Erin Jones held off a late push from Tara Seaton to secure the world title in the barrel racing. Jones posted a 15.493-second run in the final round to tie for fourth, while Seaton closed the gap with a 15.353 for second.

“It feels so great and amazing to be in this situation,” Jones said after collecting her buckle and the all-around title, which came with a brand-new horse trailer.

Jacauy Hale was the lone finisher in the final round after drawing a reride late Saturday night. With most of the crowd already gone near 11 p.m., Hale covered for 86 points as he finished third in the average race with 164 points.

The 2025 Indian National Finals Rodeo once again showcased Navajo talent and tenacity, from first-time champions to returning titleholders, each adding another proud chapter to Indian rodeo history.

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