The 2017 CINCH Boyd Gaming Chute Out in Las Vegas did not disappoint even the most avid rodeo fan, with its matchups of world champions and young talent promising to be the next big thing. The competition started with a field of 64 competitors, dwindled it down to the top six in each event for the semifinal, and then the top three faced off in a sudden death final.

There were some stellar rides and runs packed into the fast-paced, loud, and exciting event, including some great rides by the wild man Wade Sundell. His personality makes him hard to ignore, but his score of 90 points in the final guaranteed he would not only be the Chute Out Champion, but also tie the arena record in the Saddle Bronc Riding.

We loved watching him celebrate the ride:

Rodeo is an unforgiving sport in that you have to prove yourself constantly in order to stay on top, but that means we get to see a glimpse of some young up-and-comers when they have the chance to make those “perfect” runs that put them at the top of the pedestal.

Twenty-year-old Westyn Hughes gave us a preview of the tie-down roper he may become with his string of seven second runs in the second round, semifinal, and final rounds, becoming the Chute Out champion with a run of 7.60.

Watch the 7.85 the run that got him to the final round:

She may have had the biggest smile in the arena when she accepted her saddle for winning the barrel racing, and Kelly Tovar did it in fine fashion. She placed fifth in round one, fourth in round two, ran the fastest time of the entire weekend in the semifinal round, and then ran just shy of that time to ultimately win the Chute Out title with her time of 15.215.

Watch her 15.199 second run in the semi final round:

Other champions included bareback rider Justin Miller, who squeaked in to the top three by half a point before scoring 86.5 points to finish off his Chute Out with a win, while world champion bull rider was the only rider to cover his bull in the final round, coming in with a score of 86.5 points.

The finals in the team roping was not an easy one for the top three competitors, especially after watching some sub-four second runs in the semifinal. A no-time and a leg from the other teams meant that Jake Orman and Will Woodfin rode away with the win when they were able to clean things up for a 5.23 second run.

Canadian steer wrestling and all-around legend laid down consistent four-second runs throughout the weekend to secure his spot in the finals where he topped the pack with his 3.64 second run to join the other champions of the 2017 CINCH Boyd Gaming Chute Out.