Dean Thompson, of Altamont, Utah, rides Side Show and wins the bareback event Sept. 16, 2023, at the Pendleton Round-Up.

The 114th Pendleton Round-Up will have a different feel this year without 2021 and 2023 all-around and bull riding champion Stetson Wright, who is expected not to compete because of a hamstring injury.

Have no fear, Shad Mayfield is ready to give the fans a thrill when he steps on the grass to compete in tie-down roping, steer roping and team roping.

The New Mexico cowboy led the tie-down world standings as of July 26, and the all-round standings with nearly $100,000 over the next man.

“This has been an amazing year,” Mayfield said. “I had some wins at major rodeos, and that’s where a lot of my money came from.”

So far this season, he’s won tie-down titles at Reno, the Fort Worth (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, and the San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, just to name a few.

He also won all-round titles at the West of The Pecos Rodeo, and the Pioneer Days Rodeo in his hometown of Clovis, New Mexico.

Mayfield, 23, has not won a Pendleton title, but he’s made the short round twice.

“I like Pendleton,” he said. “I just have to get through to the short round. This is my fourth trip. My second year I was third, and last year I won two rounds, but my calf got up in the short round. To win the all-around there would be sweet.”

Mayfield will have stiff competition in tie-down with Ty Harris, who is second in the world standings, and most likely the rest of the top 15, which includes 2022 Pendleton all-round champ Marty Yates, who has been on a tear lately and is sitting seventh in the world standings.

Mayfield has done well with the help of his horse Lollipop, who is 13.

“She is the perfect age for this event,” he said. “I’ve had her for two years and she is very good. She should win (tie-down) horse of the year.”

While Mayfield has enjoyed his season, he said it would be better if he was battling Wright for the all-round title. According to the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association, they have not received any rodeo entries for Wright.

“It sucks for Stetson,” he said. “Me and Stetson were rookies at the same time. I like watching him ride. I have always wanted to steer rope and this has given me an opportunity to steer rope and I have won some in team roping. That ain’t going to matter at the end of the day. Going into the NFR, you have to act like you have zero dollars or you are behind.”

Mayfield has had an impressive rodeo career, which has spanned from high school to the present.

In 2018, he won the National High School Rodeo Association tie-down title. He’s made five trips to the National Finals Rodeo, and won a world tie-down title in 2020. He finished third in the world standings last year, and has won more than $1 million in his short career.

In bareback riding, 2023 Pendleton champ Dean Thompson, world leader Keenan Hayes and crowd favorite Rocker Steiner are expected in the lineup.

“I think Pendleton will be pretty special,” said the 22-year-old Thompson. “This year, I’m in a completely different spot. Last year, Pendleton got me to the NFR. This year, a win at Pendleton would put me in a good spot to chase the gold buckle. The gold buckle is the only one that will get me to take the Pendleton one off. Pendleton is a novelty rodeo. It’s an old-school bucket list rodeo.”

Hayes, last year’s world champion, has a $30,000-plus lead over the No. 2 man in the bareback standings, but two through five is pretty tight.

“Keenan is a problem,” Thompson said. “He’s one of the best.”