Young Gun Earns Coveted Cinch Timed Event Championship and $109,000 Payday

The iconic Cinch Timed Event Championship at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. has crowned the 2025 Champion. Ketch Kelton, the 19-year-old from Mayer, Ariz., is quickly earning his place in the record books. 

After winning three rounds and placing in the top 10 of the other two, Kelton came out on top of the aggregate. Along with that aggregate win comes a six-figure payday, on top of his round wins.  

With the coveted title of 2025 Cinch Timed Event Champion and $109,000 in the bank, Kelton’s aggregate time on 25 head was 338.6 seconds. The Cisco (Texas) College freshman daylighted the field, taking the win by over 100 seconds. 

Although some may be surprised by such a young cowboy earning one of the most difficult wins in rodeo, those familiar with Kelton are not shocked. The Lazy E has been good to Kelton, who has won a substantial amount there just in the last year. In 2024, he earned his second JR Ironman title, as well as the Hooey JR BFI, and a third-place finish at the Feist. 

The JR Ironman runs in conjunction with the CTEC, where youth compete in tie-down roping, steer wrestling, heading, and heeling. In the CTEC, those four events remain, with the addition of steer roping. Kelton earned the win in the JR Ironman in 2023 and 2024. 

Kelton could have competed in the JR Ironman again this year, but had his sights set high. Roping alongside 24 of the best all-around cowboys in the world, the talented young gun quickly showed everyone he was ready for the challenge. After winning the first two rounds, placing in the next two, and sitting on top of the aggregate coming into the final round, Kelton topped it off by winning the fifth round. 

A rookie in the CTEC, Kelton was the youngest competitor of the event and earns his spot in the record books at the youngest cowboy ever to win the title. He also walks away with bragging rights for fastest round of the 2025 CTEC. 

Over 41 years of the CTEC, only 20 cowboys have earned the championship. Kelton is now one of those athletes. During his JR Ironman and CTEC career, Kelton has never taken a 60 (the equivalent of a no time in the event). 

Rodeo runs in the family for Kelton, who grew up watching his father, Chance, compete at the CTEC. Chance also qualified for the National Finals Rodeo three times in the team roping and the National Finals Steer Roping five times. Kelton’s mother, Tammy, and sister, Kenzie, are also huge supporters of his rodeo endeavors. 

In fact, Kelton was aboard Kenzie’s great mare, “Peaches,” the grade palomino trained by their father for the CTEC. Roping runs in the family and Kenzie has also racked up major wins. Back-to-back BFI All-Girl Champion and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Champion Header, Kenzie is also a force with a rope in her hand.

Throughout his high school rodeo career, Kelton competed in the team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, and reined cow horse. These events helped him earn the 2022 National High School Rodeo Finals All-Around Cowboy title.

It is always inspiring to watch competitors rise through the youth ranks and find their place in professional rodeo. Kelton has big goals for the future and we cannot wait to see what is next.

We look forward to bringing our Rodeo on SI readers an interview with Kelton later this week, so be sure to follow us for more on this young cowboy. 

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