Wedgworth named world champion at rodeo finals in Oklahoma

Just two years after entering his first sanctioned rodeo, local cowboy Louis Wedgworth of Livingston has clinched the title of World Champion. This comes just after the nine-year-old celebrated multiple titles won at the Alabama Little Britches Rodeo Association state finals in May. 

Wedgworth now holds titles as 2021 National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA) Little Wrangler (LW) All Around World Champion, 2021 NLBRA LW Flag Racing World Champion and 2021 NLBRA LW Finals Champion. Competition wrapped Sunday, July, 11, at the NLBRA Finals Rodeo in Guthrie, Okla. Prizes associated with his victories include cash earnings, scholarships, saddles, buckles and other tack.

Wedgworth competes with two horses. Fastback, his bay gelding, competes in flag racing, and Cowboy, his bay pony, competes in pole bending, barrel racing and goat tail untying. He also borrows a grey gelding named Jake from his cowboy friend, Slick Robison, to improve his discipline in the practice pen.

All-around titles are awarded to the rodeo competitor who is most successful in two or more events, and Wedgworth was successful in earning points in all four events.

Wedgworth won the world title in flag racing, a timed event in which he and his horse, Fastback, raced to place flags in and out of buckets placed on barrels at the far end of the arena. His first run was 8.385 seconds in the first round, and he got faster over the course of the week. His final run in the short round was the fastest recorded time at finals of his age class of 7.737 seconds. Wedgworth finished the event with 1,092 points, an impressive 72 more than his nearest competitor. In the all-around, He finished the season with 2,848 points.

Wedgworth is the son of Evan and J.J. Wedgworth of Livingston, and the grandson of Bruce and Cindy Cook of Livingston, and Donnie and Karen Wedgworth of Greensboro. Outside of rodeo, he loves to fish, play baseball, and spend time with his family, friends and his three dogs, Haze, Shine and Spur.