Ketch Kelton dominates Timed Event Championship to win in his first year

Cover photo: Ketch Kelton competing in steer roping at the Cinch Timed Event Championship inside the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK. Photography by James Phifer.

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Ketch Kelton has a hometown in Arizona, but he is also at home inside the Lazy E Arena in Oklahoma.

A child that once played in the red dirt of the famed arena grew to become “The Ironman” at the Lazy E’s signature event.

Kelton at 19 years old became the youngest person to ever win the Cinch Timed Event Championship. He entered the Timed Event this year for the first time, but he is no stranger to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK.

First capturing hearts as a kid on horseback chasing cattle out of the arena in past years of the Timed Event Championship, a grown up Kelton captured the Ironman title this year in a full circle moment.

During a victory lap around the arena, he slapped hands with some fans in attendance that have seen him grow up over the years at the Lazy E.

Call it destiny or providence, Kelton’s win was equal parts hard work and dedication. The win by Kelton was also dominant, as he won three of the five rounds at the Lazy E Arena.

Although billed as a rookie in the Timed Event Championship, Kelton in his dominance looked like a veteran of the event. He rarely faltered and remained cool under pressure.

Kelton never took the dreaded 60 seconds in the Timed Event, which is given instead of a “no time” in the event. In fact, Kelton has apparently never taken a no time inside the Lazy E Arena.

In the Timed Event compeition, Kelton twice used two loops. He missed a head catch in the heading portion of team roping, but Kelton quickly rebuilt and caught the steer with a second loop before reaching the end of the arena.

Similarly, Kelton used two loops in a round of tie-down roping. He also had to use two tries in order to trip a steer in the fourth round, but Kelton survived those mishaps with the poise of a veteran.

Previously, Kelton in consecutive years won the Jr. Ironman, which is held in conjunction with the Timed Event Championship. Kelton also placed high in the BFI last year.

The Jr. Ironman is for age 19 and under, so Kelton could have entered that competition again. Instead, he entered the Timed Event itself. He was more than ready to step up.

Kelton won $109,000 at the Timed Event, which includes $100,000 for first place in the aggregate plus $3,000 in each of the three round wins.

— 2025 Cinch Timed Event Championship results —

Source: Lazy E Arena

Round 1:

1. Ketch Kelton 50.0, $3,000
2. Cody Doescher 53.1, $2,000
3. Stetson Jorgensen 68.3, $1,000
4. Paul D. Tierney 74.2
5. K.C. Jones 75.6
6. Kyle Lockett 75.7
7. Dylan Hancock 77.4
8. Nelson Wyatt 80.8
9. Blane Cox 84.0
10. Colby Lovell 86.8
11. Brushton Minton 87.3
12. Billy Good 88.5
13. Clayton Hass 90.7
14. John Douch 99.2
15. Riley Wakefield 100.0
16. Seth Hall 101.5
17. Kolton Schmidt 109.9
18. Erich Rogers 110.3
19. Thomas Smith 112.8
20. Russell Cardoza 118.2
21. Marcus Theriot 118.7
22. Jess Tierney 120.8
23. JoJo LeMond 136.3
24. Tyler Pearson 142.3
25. Clay Smith 152.1

Round 2:

1. Ketch Kelton 72.5, $3,000
2. Kyle Lockett 75.8, $2,000
3. Seth Hall 84.6, $1,000
4. Brushton Minton 88.1 
5. Colby Lovell 89 
6. Dylan Hancock 92.6 
7. Nelson Wyatt 99.4 
8. Kolton Schmidt 104.9 
9. K.C. Jones 109.1 
10. Erich Rogers 115.6 
11. Riley Wakefield 115.9 
12. Paul D. Tierney 116.7 
13. Jess Tierney 123 
14. Russell Cardoza 130 
15. Tyler Pearson 132.9 
16. Billy Good 135.1 
17. Marcus Theriot 137.3 
18. Clay Smith 139.8 
19. Thomas Smith 147.5 
20. Jojo Lemond 150.3 
21. John Douch 152.5 
22. Cody Doescher 161 
23. Blane Cox 171.2 
24. Stetson Jorgensen 199.6 
25. Clayton Hass 200.6

Round 3:

1. Cody Doescher 56.4, $3,000
2. Marcus Theriot 56.6, $2,000
3. Thomas Smith 59.8, $1,000
4. Riley Wakefield 60.2
5. Seth Hall 60.5
6. Paul D. Tierney 62.8
7. Ketch Kelton 73.2
8. Russell Cardoza 73.4
9. Kyle Lockett 79.1
10. Brushton Minton 79.7
11. Jess Tierney 82.5
12. Kolton Schmidt 85
13. Blane Cox 90.8
14. Dylan Hancock 92.5
15. John Douch 97.3
16. Nelson Wyatt 99.3
17. Colby Lovell 100.4
18. K.C. Jones 115.4
19. Billy Good 167.9
20. Erich Rogers 171.7

Round 4:

1. Marcus Theriot 56, $3,000
2. Erich Rogers 66.4, $2,000
3. Colby Lovell 69.7, $1,000
4. Russell Cardoza 70.5
5. Riley Wakefield 71
6. Kyle Lockett 73.5
7. Jess Tierney 75.7
8. Ketch Kelton 80.9
9. Brushton Minton 82.6
10. Paul D. Tierney 83.7
11. Blane Cox 90.2
12. Dylan Hancock 95
13. Cody Doescher 103.9
14. Nelson Wyatt 110.9
15. Kolton Schmidt 117.3
16. Seth Hall 119.5
17. K.C. Jones 120.9
18. John Douch 154.8
19. Thomas Smith 168.1
20. Billy Good 205.1

Round 5:

1. Ketch Kelton 62, $3,000
2. Kolton Schmidt 67.3, $2,000
3. Dylan Hancock 78.8, $1,000
4. Seth Hall 78.8
5. Russell Cardoza 82.7
6. Brushton Minton 99.5
7. Nelson Wyatt 100.2
8. Cody Doescher 106.3
9. Marcus Theriot 112
10. Jess Tierney 114.7
11. Riley Wakefield 116.5
12. K.C. Jones 126.5
13. Paul D. Tierney 127.4
14. Kyle Lockett 141.9
15. Colby Lovell 154.4

Aggregate:

1. Ketch Kelton 338.6, $100,000
2. Dylan Hancock 436.3, $35,000
3. Brushton Minton 437.2, $15,000
4. Seth Hall 444.9, $10,000
5. Kyle Lockett 446, $7,500
6. Riley Wakefield 463.6, $5,000
7. Paul D. Tierney 464.8, $4,500
8. Russell Cardoza 474.8, $3,000
9. Marcus Theriot 480.6
10. Cody Doescher 480.7
11. Kolton Schmidt 484.4
12. Nelson Wyatt 490.6
13. Colby Lovell 500.3
14. Jess Tierney 516.7
15. K.C. Jones 547.5