Tyler Tryan remained undefeated in the 2024 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year race, racking up $79,694.85 in season earnings.
Tryan, 18, won the coveted title by $39,097.67, giving him the richest rookie season of the last decade and landing him 25th in the PRCA heading world standings to qualify him to the major winter rodeos in 2025.
“It feels good to win it,” Tryan said. “I’m glad I won it, but I’m also glad I got into Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth. It could have went better and it should have, but it all worked out.”
Tryan’s rookie season
The eldest son of three-time World Champion Clay Tryan kicked off his year winning the first ProRodeo he entered on his permit. Tryan got the ball rolling at the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo in Window Rock, Arizona, where he won second and pocketed $3,027 and picked up major momentum grabbing checks everywhere he entered the week of June 5-8.
Over the Fourth of July, Tryan—who roped with fellow Resistol Rookie of the Year contenders Logan Moore and Denton Dunning—pocketed $10,191, with the Livingston Roundup Rodeo win in Montana for $4,974 highlighting the week.
“That was the first time I was ever 3 seconds, and that’s not an easy rodeo to win, so that was probably my best moment of the summer,” Tryan said.
Tryan went on to have a $23,606 August, and he wrapped up his rookie season with a third-place finish at the Cowboy Capital Of The World PRCA Rodeo in Stephenville and second at the Decatur PRCA Rodeo.
He also learned a valuable lesson about adapting a short-term memory mindset.
“You get to run a lot of steers, so don’t worry about that one,” Tryan said. “Get over it and try to move on and worry about the next one.”
While breaking rookie records is a feat the Lipan, Texas, kid is proud of, he had also set his sights on a much bigger goal and feels he could have turned more steers in 2024.
“I was excited I got to 25th (in the world), but also a little disappointed where I ended up, too,” Tryan admitted. “Everyone’s end goal is to make the NFR, and when you don’t do it, it’s disappointing. Even if you didn’t think you were going to make it.”
Tryan will keep roping with Dunning in 2025, and he continues to look for ways to level up.
“Making the Finals for me and him, that’s both our goals, to be honest,” Tryan said. “That’s the main goal right now. He’s living at our place right now and we’re both trying to get better at it. I need to do better for him. He’s got it all figured out.”
