The 2024 Resistol Rookie Celebration Luncheon marks a decade of celebrating the PRCA and WPRA Resistol Rookies of the Year.
Photos by Kiese & Co
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Resistol, one of the original sponsors of the PRCA and official hat of the PRCA, celebrated the 2024 Resistol Rookies of the Year with its tenth annual luncheon at the South Point Hotel & Casino. The Resistol rookies were honored and individually introduced during the noon hour at the South Point Hotel on the National Finals Rodeo Resistol Night. The rookies received airfare, tickets to the rodeo and hotel rooms to attend the special occasion.
“We love celebrating the Resistol rookies at the Super Bowl of rodeo, the Wrangler NFR,” said Mary Jane Carpenter, the brand director of Resistol. “The luncheon is where the gravity of their award sinks in for them. They watch Trevor Brazile, Tuff Hedeman and other legends in the arena, who were once in their shoes.”
First-year PRCA and WPRA cardholders compete for the Resistol Rookie of the Year award. Rodeo athletes only have one chance in their lifetime to win this prestigious achievement.
For the first time in rookie history, the All Around Rookie title was in contention during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Wacey Schalla from Arapaho, Okla., Cooper James from Erda, Utah, and Cole Clemons from Okeechobee, Fla. competed for the world title at the same time as the all-around rookie title. Each cowboy had combined earnings from two PRCA events.

In bull riding, three contenders vied for the 2024 Bull Riding Resistol Rookie of the Year at the Thomas & Mack: Wacey Schalla, Cooper James, and Jeter Lawrence from Council Hill, Okla.
Ultimately, Cooper James took home both the 2024 PRCA All-Around Rookie of the Year title and the 2024 Bull Riding Resistol Rookie of the Year.

Congratulations to the 2024 PRCA and WPRA Resistol Rookies of the Year!
2024 PRCA Bull Riding Resistol Rookie of the Year – Cooper James, Erda, UT
2024 PRCA Steer Wrestling Resistol Rookie of the Year – Ty Bauerle, Jourdanton, TX
2024 PRCA Team Roping Header Resistol Rookie of the Year – Tyler Tryan, Lipan, TX
2024 PRCA Team Roping Heeler Resistol Rookie of the Year – Logan Moore, Dublin, TX
2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc Resistol Rookie of the Year – Zac Dallas, Las Cruces, NM
2024 PRCA Tie-Down Resistol Rookie of the Year – Cole Clemons, Lipan, TX
2024 PRCA Steer Roping Resistol Rookie of the Year – Trent Sorey, Pendleton, OR
2024 WPRA Breakaway Roping Resistol Rookie of the Year – Summer Williams, Victor, ID
2024 WPRA Barrel Racing Resistol Rookie of the Year – Oceane Veilleux
2024 PRCA All Around Resistol Rookie of the Year – Cooper James, Erda, UT

During the Resistol Rookie Luncheon, family, friends and industry people enjoyed music by Lindsey Cardinale, a delicious meal, and a program led by emcees ProRodeo announcers Anthony Lucia and Scott Grover. The PRCA Resistol Rookies were presented with a personalized 30X Resistol hat, a beautiful fully tooled trophy Cactus Saddle, a Resistol branded Yeti Cooler, a Resistol PRCA Rookie trophy jacket, Cavender’s gift cards, a gift certificate from Fastback Ropes, and a bonus check—compliments of Resistol.
HatCo., Inc. CEO Dustin Noblitt kicked off the program and PRCA CEO Tom Glause congratulated the Resistol Rookies, noting they are the future of the sport. Resistol President Devin Marcum and Resistol Brand Director Mary Jane Carpenter handed out the awards with congratulations.

Previous rookies of the year and world champions addressed the current rookies with sentiments of the title and future advice as they continue in their careers. Of those included Trevor Brazile, the highest decorated cowboy in the PRCA and 1996 Resistol Rookie of the Year; Joe Beaver, 1995 Resistol Rookie of the Year and recent Vegas NFR Icon; Tuff Hedeman, eight-time world champion and ProRodeo Hall of Famer; John W. Jones, the first named Resistol Rookie of the Year in 1957; Luke Branquinho, 2000 Resistol Rookie of the Year and 14-time NFR qualifier; and Tyler Wade, reigning PRCA Team Roping World Champion.
The Little Britches Rookies of the Year were also invited to the luncheon as a celebration of their hard work.

Congratulations to the 2024 National Little Britches Rodeo Association Resistol Rookies of the Year!
2024 Little Wrangler Resistol Rookie of the Year – J.W. McKitrick
2024 Junior Boys Resistol Rookie of the Year – McCoy Cooper
2024 Junior Girls Resistol Rookie of the Year – Alexandria Burton
2024 Senior Boys Resistol Rookie of the Year – Tyson Griffith
2024 Senior Girls Resistol Rookie of the Year – Ellie Tope

The finale of the luncheon was The Resistol “Man of the Year” award. This award goes to those who go above and beyond to further the Western industry, the sport and the lifestyle, and exemplifies what the Resistol brand means. Past recipients include country music star Cody Johnson, American Quarter Horse Association CEO Karl Stressman, Wildfire Open founder Billy Pipes and Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame announcer Bob Tallman.
Resistol awarded this year’s title to Pete Carr, founder and CEO of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo.
The PRCA and WPRA Resistol Rookies of the Year were again recognized in the arena during Round 6 and Resistol Night with their Montana Silversmiths champion buckles presented by Dustin Noblitt, Devin Marcum and Mary Jane Carpenter.
Resistol looks forward to returning to the South Point Hotel in 2025 for the next Resistol Rookie Celebration Luncheon!

About RESISTOL
Since 1927, the Resistol hat brand has been dedicated to providing cowboys and ranchers with the finest headwear available for the Western lifestyle. A division of Hat-Co, Inc, the world’s largest fur-felt hat manufacturer, Resistol Hats are manufactured in Garland, Texas. While Resistol has the most popular straw cowboy hats available, Resistol is proud to handcraft their felt hats fur-to-finish in the USA. This means we curate and purchase raw fur and make our own hat bodies in our factory in Longview, Texas. The hat bodies are finished in Garland, TX where each felt hat goes through over 200 hands under the company’s high standard quality control thereby producing the most consistent and finest hat known to the world. Truly made in America! Resistol provides a full line of felt and straw cowboy hats, outerwear and cowboy boots. Resistol is available at fine Western stores or shop online at www.Resistol.com.