Broc Cresta, a team roper who competed in the National Finals Rodeo the last two years, was found dead Saturday in his living quarters trailer at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association said. He was 25.
The PRCA said the cause of death wasn't known.
Cresta, from Petaluma, Calif., was the 2007 PRCA Rookie Heeler of the Year. He teamed with header Turtle Powell in the 2010 NFR and with Spencer Mitchell last year. Cresta also teamed with Logan Olson to win the Cheyenne title in 2009.
"The whole rodeo world is in shock," PRCA communications director Kendra Santos said. "My phone's been ringing off the wall all day with calls from Hall of Famers on down to little kids. Broc's a fourth-generation cowboy in California, and everybody loves him.
"It's hard enough to lose a good cowboy when he's 90, but losing such a talented and genuinely good person at 25 is just about impossible. Our hearts are with Broc's family and friends. The entire rodeo family hurts right now."
