INFR releases tour champion winners: Four area contingents among leaders

WINDOW ROCK

The Indian National Finals Rodeo paid out over $2 million dollars with its 18 tour rodeos this past year.

The nonprofit group released its 2022 INFR Tour Champions with four Diné contestants winning their respective events.

Rough Rock, Arizona cowboy Westley Benally finished first in the team roping header’s position by amassing $21,716, which is third best among the top contestant winners.

Tara Seaton (barrel racing), Wyatt Gibson (team roping – heeler) and Jacob T. Yazzie (saddle bronc) were also named INFR Tour Champions.

The 2022 season will conclude at the INFR, which is scheduled to take place from Oct. 18-22, inside the South Point Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Westley Benally

Of the tour rodeos he entered, Benally won three of them starting with an early season win at the Muskogee Nation Tour Rodeo.

It wasn’t until later this summer that the Rough Rock team roper landed his biggest haul winning both the Chippewa Cree at Rocky Boy, Montana, and Crow Fair.

He collected $7,248 at Rocky Boy and $7,828 at Crow Fair. He paired up with Gibson to win the Chippewa Cree rodeo, and at Crow Fair he took first with his older brother Hank Benally.

Those two rodeos put him over the top, as he beat out fellow Diné ropers Dwight Sells and Trey Begay as the latter two finished with $19,522 and $18,193, respectively.

“They were good rodeos,” Benally said of two northern rodeos. “Everything came together for me and my partners. We did what we could up there because we traveled a long way.”

This was Benally first time winning the tour, getting inspiration to do that after qualifying for his first INFR last year.

“I set a goal of winning the tour and sure enough I won it,” he said. “I’m very proud because I accomplished that.”

His next objective is to give himself a chance at winning an INFR world title.

“I’m going to try and win the title with my older brother Hank Benally,” he said.

Wyatt Gibson

Going into the final tour rodeo of the season, Gibson trailed fellow Diné roper Myles John by $501. The Smith Lake, New Mexico cowboy surpassed the then-leader with a first-place win at the Sky Dancer Tour Rodeo, collecting $2,313.

“I won the last rodeo and it put me up there,” Gibson said, while noting that John did not compete in the last rodeo.

As the heeling tour champion, Gibson amassed $17,540 while John won $15,729.

“I’m glad that I won it,” Gibson said. “I started the year off rough, and I picked up my slack at the of the year.

“I feel like I deserve to be with the rest of the guys that made it,” he added.

His biggest win came at Rocky Boy Tour Rodeo, which is hosted by the Chippewa Cree tribe. At that rodeo, he partnered with Benally and the two left the rodeo with $7,248 each.

His next biggest haul came at the Home of the Champions Tour Rodeo in Halliday, North Dakota where he won $4,971.

At the North Dakota rodeo, Gibson roped with brother Tobin and Talan Cummins, with the latter being his INFR partner.

Gibson’s horse, Playboy Gold, was also recognized by the INFR. The 11-year-old homegrown equine was named horse of the year.

“That’s a huge accomplishment,” he said of his horse being recognized. “You know, I’m really proud of him for winning something like that for himself.”

As a three-time qualifier, Gibson is hoping his luck will change at this year’s finals. In his debut, he made the short round and last year he roped 2-of-4 draws.

“I don’t want to count my chickens yet, but I feel like I’m roping good,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m ready for the finals.”

Jacob Yazzie

After leading the tour by a large margin, Yazzie had to withstand a late charge from Justin Whiteman, who placed at four of the last five tour rodeos.

Despite that heroic effort, Yazzie emerged as the tour champion with $7,498 won. Whiteman finished with $6,927, which was $571 shy of Yazzie’s total.

“This is a first for everything,” the 18-year-old cowboy said. “I wasn’t expecting to win this, but I just kept hitting all those tour rodeos.

“It was a tough battle,” he added. “I just placed at a few rodeos and the guy behind me got on a winning streak at the end.”

As for his first trip to the INFR, Yazzie said he’s hoping to make some noise.

“I’m going to try and keep it going,” he said. “I just gotta do what I do and just have fun.”

The Allentown, Arizona cowboy credits his dad, Alonzo, and his uncle, Ace Long, for showing him the ropes and guiding him in his first year as an INFR qualifier.

“They push me a lot,” he said.

Tara Seaton

After finishing second last year in the tour race, Seaton won this year’s competition rather comfortably. The Dilkon, Arizona cowgirl netted $15,169 with second-place finisher Graysen O’Conner winning $10,801.

“This is my first year winning it,” Seaton said, while noting that she lost the tour race by a mere $29 last year when she missed a few INFR rodeos to concentrate on here WPRA membership.

“It came down to the last INFR rodeo,” she said. “I missed the last few rodeos because I was trying to qualify for the Turquoise Circuit Rodeo. I didn’t hit any tour rodeos in September, and I finished second, but it was all good because I ended up qualifying for my first circuit finals, so it all worked out.”

Seaton cleared $3,212 at the Chippewa Cree rodeo for his biggest win this season. And to help solidify her position, Seaton won both the Fort Peck and Home of the Champions rodeos during Labor Day weekend.

Seaton collected a grand total of $3,287 at those two rodeos, earning her a nice cushion entering the final leg of the 2022 season.

“I was leading the tour prior to that,” she said of her Labor Day exploits. “But I wasn’t sure how it was going to finish out because Graysen was close enough to beat me.”

She owes a lot of her success to her prized mare, Rez Rocket, as the two were consistent throughout the year.

“We went all year long and we went up against different competition in different arenas,” she said. “For me it’s a test of stamina, not only me as a contestant, but also my horse.

“She has to be able to compete all these different rodeos, and we were able to hold onto that lead,” she added. “I mean, we never let it go. We held it from Day One, so that shows the stamina and determination that my horse has.”

Seaton said she likes her INFR chances as she is seeking her first world crown. In 2019, she took second and after the cancelation of the 2020 season due to the global pandemic she finished third last year.

“I think they’re pretty good,” she said. “The INFR is coming up with a new rule to where they drag after every six runs. I’m so happy about that and that’s a huge step forward for us barrel racers.

“In the past, they would drag after every eight and that was really tough on our horses,” she added. “You don’t really get to showcase what your horse can do (by dragging every eight) because you’re worried about keeping them standing and not having them slip or fall.”

---