Monthly Archives: December 2025

Jess Pope smiles to the crowd during his victory lap after winning Thursday’s eighth round of the National Finals Rodeo. It was his second straight round win this NFR. (PRCA PHOTO BY CLICK THOMPSON)   LAS VEGAS – Jess Pope was 20 the first time he arrived in this desert city with a love for bucking horses and dreams of being a ProRodeo champion. He was competing in the PRCA’s Permit Challenge at the South Point Equestrian Center as one of the top young guns in bareback riding. He won the title at that event that December 2018 weekend, and he did so on the back of a Midwest bucking horse named Deep Springs. The two already had a history. Pope first rode the powerful gray to win the ProRodeo in Marshall, Minnesota, in August 2017. By the time he arrived in Sin City the next December, he knew what to expect. The old foes returned to the ring again during Thursday’s eighth round of the National Finals Rodeo. The winning continued. Pope scored 88.25 points on the Four Star Rodeo bronc to win for the second straight night and propel him directly into world-title contention with two nights remaining in the ProRodeo season. “We got the draw (Wednesday) night before we went on stage at the South Point, and I was really excited to have him,” said Pope, a six-time NFR qualifier – and the 2022 world champion – from Waverly, Kansas. “I’ve been on him a bunch. I knew it was a really good shot to win a go-round. “I think I’ve been on that horse nine or 10 times, maybe more than that.” It was worth another $36,668 and helped increase his NFR earnings to $136,564 in just eight days of competition. Pope has ridden eight broncs for a cumulative score of 684.5 points and sits first in the average race. He has moved to third in the world standings with $340,193 and trails the standings leader, Texan Rocker Steiner, by $81,000. Also in the mix for the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle is Montanan Sam Petersen, who is second and has nearly a $9,000 advantage over Pope. With just Rounds 9 and 10 remaining, it will be a race to the top. Pope might have an advantage, not just in the aggregate race but also in experience. Steiner is eighth in the average, and Petersen is second. It might come down to which cowboy has the best two-night series. Pope is a three-time average champion, having won the title consecutively from 2020-22; he finished second in 2023 and fifth last year. He also has one gold buckle already, so that experience has been paying off. “It took me a while to get heated up here, but I finally drew good, finally drew right,” Pope said. “We’ll see where the cards lay at the end of the week. I feel pretty confident about it.”

By finishing in a three-way tie for fifth place in Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo, J.D. Struxness remains in the hunt to defend his world championship. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness is stalking his prey. He’s sixth in the steer wrestling world standings with $206,631, but he’s in position to pounce. He produced a solid run of 4.4 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo, adding $5,126 to his pockets and increasing his Las Vegas earnings to $67,959. He’s fourth in the aggregate standings with a seven-run cumulative time of 48.5 seconds, and that includes two runs in which he was saddled with 10-second penalties, so there’s room to grow. “That’s just a little bit of premature situation stuff just to see where we’re at and know what we need to game plan for as we go into the rest of the week,” said Struxness, 31, of Milan, Minnesota. “It’s just been a weird NFR with the steers and the guys and everything else. I don’t know what it is, but with two broken barriers, we’re still facing an average check. “Something funky is going on out there.” Louisianan Rowdy Parrott won the round Wednesday with a 4.0-second run. The night before, Montanan Ty Erickson won with a 3.5. This isn’t the typical NFR, where fast times rule the roost. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been out here and seen 4.0 win a round as many times as it has this year,” said Struxness, the 2016 intercollegiate champion at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and a seven-time NFR qualifier. “Thes steers just aren’t as snappy as usually, but it definitely keeps you on your toes.” A year ago, the Minnesota cowboy parlayed a fantastic 10-day run in Las Vegas to his first world championship. He’s ready to make some things happen over the final three nights of the season to see if he can defend that gold buckle. “From a show basis, (producers of the NFR) want us to be fast, but it doesn’t matter as long as guys are placing in the right order on the steers they draw,” he said. Struxness is sixth in the world standings and trails the leader, Will Lummus, by nearly $85,000. Alas, go-round winners will pocket almost $37,000 per night, and there are three remaining at this NFR. There is also the aggregate to consider, where the top eight cumulative times through 10 rounds will receive a bonus; the winner will pocket $94,000. If Struxness maintains his place in the average, fourth will earn $44,000. “We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing and hope we draw some of those top steers each night and see what happens,” he said.

Bridger Anderson scored a 4.3-second run to finish in a tie for third place during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY KATHRYN COLEMAN)   LAS VEGAS – When half the equation in rodeo involves livestock, there’s never a guaranteed outcome. The steer wrestlers found that out during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. The steers were big and strong, and times reflected it. Bridger Anderson knew he had a powerful steer, but he handled business during a 4.3-second run to finish tied for third, worth $18,630. “That steer really tried, but I knew it was going to be good on the ground,” said Anderson, a three-time NFR qualifier from Carrington, North Dakota. “I got a pretty good start and rode up in there to him. That was probably the best run I made all week.” Confidence is brewing in the 27-year-old cowboy, the 2019 intercollegiate bulldogging champion while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “We had to run that steer down there a little ways, but it worked out,” said Anderson, who busted into a tie for first after his run, then watched two of the last three cowboys surpass him; Rowdy Parrott won the round in 4.0 seconds, and Tucker Allen was second with a 4.2. “Tuck came back and bumped me, then Rowdy made a stud run right there. “It just teases you there after a while. You keep watching, and you’re thinking, ‘Gosh, 4.3 shouldn’t win first, but we’re running out of guys to beat it.’ It was pretty excited. Hopefully in the next couple of nights, we draw one of them slower steers and might find ourselves making at trip to the South Point.” The casino and resort eight miles south of the Thomas & Mack Center on Las Vegas Boulevard hosts the nightly go-round awards, and winners will add a Montana Silversmiths buckle and other trinkets to their prizes during an hour-long stage show. Anderson has earned $74,169 over seven nights in Las Vegas. He is 10th in the world standings with $183,496, but he has been saddled with two no-times. With three pens of cattle set for the 10 rounds, all the steers have been seen. Wednesday’s performance marked the third time for that grouping of animals to be in the mix. That means the bulldoggers know what to expect. Like other athletes, they do their homework, study video and try to see trends. They also pay attention to what others may have done, and it’s how they build confidence in themselves and their performance. “J.D. (Struxness) made a good run on that steer in the first performance,” Anderson said. “Justin Shaffer ran him in the fourth performance, and (the steer) was just a touch off to the right. We knew he was going to run, but (the bulldoggers) have thrown him a bunch, and we knew he was just going to be an honest steer and good on the ground. “All I had to do was make sure I hit the start and make a good run.” That’s the game plan for the final three nights of the 2025 ProRodeo season.

Bradlee Miller had his work cut out for him during an 84-point ride on Brookman Rodeo’s SOS during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – The reality of the National Finals Rodeo is that it’s an incredible competition stretched out over a week and a half in the Nevada desert. It can be grueling, especially for men like Bradlee Miller, who rides bareback horses for a living. This is the sport’s championship event, so it’s meant to be a test for the cowboys that play the game. Miller has certainly been tested. He rode Brookman Rodeo’s SOS for 84 points to finish fifth during Wednesday’s seventh round, pocketing $9,413. It was just his third paycheck after scratching some money in Rounds 1 and 5, and his Las Vegas total is $36,614. It’s a far cry from what he was doing 12 months ago during his first NFR qualification, when he had earned more than $178,000 through seven nights. “I almost wish it was flip-flopped a little bit,” said Miller, 22, of Huntsville, Texas. “My expectations last year were low, and I exceeded them by a lot. This year, my expectations are high, and the results have been pretty underwhelming. “I’ll just keep doing my best. I’ve ridden all my horses the best that I can. It just hasn’t worked out in my favor yet, but my time’s coming. I don’t know if that’s tomorrow or next year, but it’s coming.” The mind is a powerful tool, and it can be the deciding factor in an athlete’s success. “It’s frustrating when you watch $37,000 a night slip through your fingers whenever things don’t go your way,” said Miller, who has accrued $244,088 this season and sits seventh in the world standings. “But just to be here in this atmosphere and with this caliber of rodeo athletes, it’s a dream come true, so I try to look at it as if anything on top of that is just a bonus. “It’s still frustrating, but looking at it that way seems to help.” It can be trying, and while $36,000 is nothing to sneeze at, it pales in comparison to what Miller has done and what others are doing. Oklahoman Wacey Schalla has placed in six of seven rounds and earned more than $150,000. There are two other cowboys that have earned more than $100k and two others who will likely cross it by the week’s end. But there are also two cowboys who haven’t reached the pay window yet, so the power of positive thinking has its benefits. Miller has maintained a strong performance, but scores are also based on how well the animal performs. The Texas cowboy has found difficulty with that. “The best horses in the world are here, but with the best being here, there’s going to be a top end and a bottom end in each of the pens,” he said. “The way the draw works here is we have five pens of horses and 10 rounds. A lot of those horses get bucked a second time. We only pick the better 10 or so horses to buck a second time from each of the first five rounds. “All of mine that I had in the first five rounds were cut after their first out. We decided not to buck them again, because they were the very bottom of the pen.” Sports is about two things: Winning or learning. “There’s a lot of emotion right now because of things not going my way,” Miller said. “I got behind right there at the beginning of my ride (Wednesday), and it took every ounce in me to be able to catch back up to a horse of that caliber. With where I’m at right now, I have nothing to lose. I’m holding nothing back and giving it everything. “Sometimes that’s what it takes to be able to catch up and scrape away with a check like I did today.”

Cole Franks spurs Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Silver Beaver for 85.75 points to finish in a tie for second place during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – There was never panic, but dire thoughts crossed Cole Franks’ mind. It was during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo, and he was in a bad spot during his ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Silver Beaver. “I dropped the ball on that,” said Franks, a 24-year-old cowboy from Clarendon, Texas. “I got a little behind and got out of shape. About four seconds into it, I saw the dirt coming, and the first thing that came to my mind is ‘That’s the first time I’ve ever seen dirt coming here.’ “I was not about to have it, so I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see anything. I might have made a little bit of a girlish noise when I closed my eyes, but it worked.” The two titans battled inside the Thomas & Mack Center for 85.75 points. Franks finished the night in a tie for second place, and with it, he powered through for $25,431 points. “That horse was a little bit more than I expected,” he said. “I knew it was going to buck and it was going to be hard, but he just beat me to the punch right out of the gate. I tried to do a little too much too early, and it got me behind a little bit. It bucked a lot harder than it did the firs time it was out. It just set me up and got me a little out of shape at the start, and I was playing catch-up. “That’s a freaking awesome horse, and that was the one I wanted. It was just my fault.” Franks has ridden seven horses for a cumulative score of 593 points and sits fifth in the average race. He’s also earned $57,511 at the NFR so far and sits sixth in the world standings with $257,873. This is his time to shine, and the bulb was a little dull for the first few rounds. It’s starting to shed more light as he rolls toward the final three nights of the 2025 ProRodeo season. The biggest test will come Thursday night, when the bareback riders face the “eliminator pen,” a grouping of horses considered the most difficult to ride. He will be matched with Rosser Rodeo’s Right On Q, a bronc on which Jess Pope scored 85.75 points to finish fifth this past Saturday. Franks got a taste of what that will be like on Silver Beaver. “That horse is a lot,” Franks said. “One of the first things that went through my head once I got off was, ‘This was supposed to be our semi-eliminators.’ I’m a little scared for tomorrow.” The NFR is supposed to be a test. Franks is passing those exams one by one. He may not consider them A-plus results, but passing the biggest test in rodeo is big.

Kade Sonnier has been riding a nice wave, securing his fifth payday so far. He rode Andrews Rodeo’s Empty Promises for 83.75 points to finish sixth in Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – There are times an athlete has to reach beyond what might be his limits to accomplish something special. After Andrews Rodeo’s Empty Promises got out of the starting blocks early, Kade Sonnier had to kick int into high gear just to catch up. He did, managing an 83.75-point ride to finish sixth in Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. That was worth $5,914 and marked the fifth time he has earned money in Las Vegas. “We just keep chipping away at it,” said Sonnier of Carencro, Louisiana. “That horse beat me out of the gate a little bit. She kind of hit the chute gate, and it caused us to have a little bit of a foul start. She reared up and stalled. I knew there were a couple of tricks to here, but that was just some unfortunate luck. “The hardest thing about that horse is getting out (of the chute) clean. I don’t necessarily think I had the best go at her today, but I feel like I’m probably riding as good as I’ve ever rode. Sometimes you don’t necessarily draw the best horses for you. That was one hell of a pen of bucking horses, but I probably had one of the weaker ones. To get a check out of that, you’re doing something right.” He is. He’s earned $102,064 and has ridden seven broncs for a cumulative score of 594.5 points. He is tied for third in the average standings and is in line to snag a good bonus if he remains in similar position when the rodeo season concludes Saturday. He has increased his season total to $273,571 and is fifth in the world standings. “The cool thing about this rodeo is that it pays so good every night that a guy can be a little cold right there at the beginning and still finish strong,” Sonnier said. “That’s the name of the game for us for the rest of this week. It’s time to just go finish what we started, and that was to come here and have fun. “As long as you’re having fun, this is a dream come true.”

California bulldogger Tucker Allen mustered some extra umpth in order to power through a 4.2-second run to finish second during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – It’s been that kind of a week for steer wrestler Tucker Allen. He didn’t make the kind of run he wanted to Wednesday night, but he finished in 4.2 seconds to finish as the runner-up to the seventh-round winner and collect a $28,980 payday at the National Finals Rodeo. “I should have been really, really fast, and I kind of over-rode my horse and just had to snag him up and tip him over,” said Tucker, a two-time NFR qualifier from Ventura, California. “This pen of steers is no day off on any of them.” The animals made the steer wrestlers work for it. There are three sets of steers on which the bulldoggers compete. The winning time in Tuesday’s sixth round was 3.5; Rowdy Parrott was 4.0 to win Wednesday. This was the third time this particular group of cows was in the lineup, and the bunch will be run again during Saturday’s 10th round. “I don’t mind a pen of steers like this where you’ve got to go bulldog,” Allen said, noting the extra effort it takes to wrestle the steers to the ground. “It’s damn sure a bulldogging contest, and the times show. “I’m just happy to get a decent check. I could’ve gotten an even better start. I feel like I got a good roll off the corner, but I didn’t blow (the barrier) out.” The start is vital. The barrier is a roped line in front of the timed-event box that releases when the steer is provided an adequate head start. It’s best to be right on that line when it springs free. Possibly the biggest advantage is that he’s riding Banker, the 2025 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year owned by fellow bulldogger Justin Shaffer. “That shows us the horsepower that even though I was a little off the barrier, Banker still caught up good,” he said. Allen has grappled seven steers to the ground in a cumulative time of 32.7 seconds and leads the aggregate race. He has pocketed $111,428 so far. He is also second in the world standings with $262,796, about $29,000 behind the leader, Mississippian Will Lummus. It’s going to be a race for the world championship over the final three nights of the 2025 ProRodeo season, and Allen is right in the thick of it all. “I’m not keeping track of anything,” Allen said. “I’m just going one at a time and going to have fun. That’s all there is.” That Montana Silversmiths gold buckle might be a nice addition to the party.

Bareback rider Waylon Bourgeois spurred Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage for 85.5 points to finish fourth in Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. That marked the final ride for the nearly 24-year-old world champion bucking horse. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage has quite the resume: a two-time PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year that finished second three times and was also a three-time Bareback Horse of the National Finals Rodeo. Waylon Bourgeois has the distinction for being the last cowboy to ever ride award-winning horse. Bourgeois rode the big, powerful bay for 85.5 points to finish fourth during Wednesday’s seventh round, collecting $15,377 because of it. “That was a special night for me,” said Bourgeois, 26, of Church Point, Louisiana. “That horse has been to the NFR 19 times and is a horse of the year and reserve horse of the year. What a great horse. To be able to get on him for his last day is pretty special. I’ll remember that forever.” The money will be spent, and the buckles will tarnish, but memories like that are meant for a lifetime. It was also a big night for Bourgeois, started off hot but went on a cold plunge for three rounds leading up to Wednesday night. “This is 10 nights of fun,” he said. “We get a little sore, but we knocked some of the soreness out and got back at them.” The soreness might be coming back a little. Full Baggage has been considered one of the greatest bucking horses in rodeo for some times. Ten years ago, he was overpowering some cowboys. The big gelding still has that way about him at nearly 24 years old. “He hit me pretty hard in the back the first two jumps, and I knew it was go-time after that,” Bourgeois said. “I just kept setting my feet and going at him.” With three nights remaining on the season, Bourgeois has earned $96,150 at the NFR, pushing his annual salary to $234,014. It’s been a memorable campaign. “I’m glad I’ve had that week, because I’ve got a house to remodel,” he said with a laugh. “I’m super blessed. All I can do is thank God for getting me hear, keeping me healthy through seven rounds and trusting me to get through 10.”

Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson returneed to the pay window when his 86-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color helped him finish in fifth place during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Even though it’s in the desert, there can be some cold spells in the City of Entertainment. Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson has been part of one. After finishing second in the opening round a week ago, he went without a paycheck for five straight nights. When it’s at the National Finals Rodeo, that makes things even tougher. “It feels good to get a check out of that,” said Patterson, who rode Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color for 86 points to finish fifth in Wednesday’s seventh round, worth $9,463. “It’s been pretty cold the last couple of nights. I’ve not been riding bad; I just haven’t been drawing the horses to get a check on. “The horse I had (Wednesday) I’ve been on before. I got on him last summer in Sentinel Butte, North Dakota, and I was 86 there. I knew she was going to move pretty hard right out of (the chute) and just going to be really bucky, so I knew I had a chance to finally scrap something out of it, and I did.” Cowboys are matched to their broncs via random draw, and while the horses are set in sections to make the competition as even as possible, there are several each night that are better than others. “When you’re not drawing hot, it can really get to you, and I’ve been trying to lot let it get to me and just know every night’s a chance,” said Patterson, 24, of Waverly, Kansas. “When the drawing is not as good as you want, just keep making the best of it and do your job.” Despite the dry spell, Patterson has earned $48,442 in Las Vegas, with $10,000 of that coming from the bonus that comes from qualifying for the NFR. He has increased his season earnings to $222,178 and sits 11th in the world standings. It’s all part of the learning curve for the first-timer in Sin City, but he’s had a little help from a couple of traveling partners, fellow bronc busters Wyatt Casper, a five-time finalist who just missed advancing this season, and Kade Bruno, who is competing at his fourth straight NFR. Both have been boosting the young cowboy’s confidence. “Kade’s been having a good week and has been riding good,” Patterson said. “He’s been very positive and just telling me to keep doing what I did all year. I’ve been talking to Wyatt about every day. He told me today, ‘I’ve been on both sides of the ball. I’ve been the guy that wins the average and second in the world, and I’ve been the guy that didn’t hardly get a dime out here. Just keep going at it; there’s a reason you made it out here.’ “Wyatt Smith, one of the coaches from Clarendon (Texas) College, called me today just to give me some positive feedback. I just have to remember that I’m here for a reason, and just because things aren’t going so hot doesn’t mean there’s anything bad about it.” The NFR is a slugfest, and the bronc busters are being tested by the 100 best horses in the sport over 10 December nights in Las Vegas. There are times when he needs to clear his mind, and he takes advantage of his days to get things right mentally. “I went to the Airbnb my girlfriend’s family has and just got away from the scene, went somewhere that’s a little bit quiet and just relax,” he said. “I feel like when I do that, it helps me prepare coming into the night and having my mind straightened and ready to go.”

Bareback rider Jess Pope rides Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Foxhole Gunner for 88 points to win Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY KATHRYN COLEMAN)   LAS VEGAS – Jess Pope has never been afraid of going to work. As a professional bareback rider, that’s part of the job description, but there are nights where the labor is a bit more intense. Pope was up to the task, scoring 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Foxhole Gunner to win Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo, earning a $36,668 payday in the process. “Getting on him in Oakley City (Utah in July), I knew he was going to be hard,” said Pope, the 2022 world champion from Waverly, Kansas. “I knew he was going to hit me in the back, so a guy has to be really deliberate with his feet and just be in control. “I found video of him with Weston Timberman here last year. He didn’t do what he did today, but I was really excited for his trip today. It felt awesome, and everything worked out.” Yes, it did. It was his first go-round victory since the ninth round of last year’s NFR, when he rode another Carr horse, Secret’s Out, for the title in Las Vegas. “The finals have been kind of a slow start,” he said. “It’s been tough on me a little bit mentally, but I’m super blessed to be here and get that done, and now I look forward to three more rounds.” Pope has placed in four rounds so far, which is a bit slow for him. He’s won more than $1 million in NFR money since his first trip to the finale in 2020. Alas, he keeps adding to his total. He’s finished third or better in three rounds and had a fifth-place check on the third night. Still, he’s earned just shy of $100,000 in Las Vegas – a tenth of that came via a $10,000 bonus all qualifiers earn. How does he stay mentally sharp when things aren’t going his way? “That’s the main reason I got married,” he said with a smile, pointing out the positivity his wife brings to the family dynamic. “Sydney does a good job of grounding me and reminding me what I’m supposed to be doing and what my purpose is here, just to remember to be thankful for the opportunities that I have. “Without her, I’d probably be a wreck right now, but she’s kept me in it all week.” Pope has ridden seven horses for a cumulative score of 596.25 points and is second in the average race. He’s been in this position before – he won three straight aggregate titles between 2020-22, finished second in the average in 2023 and was fifth last year. He still has a lot of work to do to catch big money in the final three go-rounds and to reel in some of the deficit he has over the average leader, Oklahoman Wacey Schalla, who has an 8.25-point advantage. Pope, though, has pushed his season earnings to $303,525. If he remains second in the aggregate by Saturday night, he will pocket another $76,000. Should he surpass Shalla, the average titlist will win $94,000, so there’s a reason to keep riding the hot streak. “This was a great confidence-booster to finish out strong,” Pope said. “It moves me up in the average and in the world standings a little bit, and now I’ve just got to finish.”

Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson grabs ahold of his cow en route to a 4.9-second run, which helped him finish in a four-way tie for sixth place in Tuesday’s sixth round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)   LAS VEGAS – Strange things happen in Las Vegas, and it’s not just on The Strip. This is the home of the National Finals Rodeo, when Sin City is transformed into a Western mecca. Hundreds of thousands of people converge on the Nevada desert every December for the sport’s championship, to mingle with its stars and to be part of the electric atmosphere. The sixth round of competition proved that some unfamiliar things can happen inside the Thomas & Mack Center, too. Montanan Ty Erickson won steer wrestling with a 3.5-second run, yet four cowboys also placed while being nearly a second and a half slower. Bridger Anderson was one of them. “It was kind of a wild night,” said Anderson, 27, of Carrington, North Dakota. “Some of those steers were trying. Some of those guys are catching up pretty fast, and there was a lot of wild stuff going on. So far, it’s been all over the board.” Anderson has had an “OK” NFR. He’s placed three times, but he’s also suffered a no-time in two go-rounds. His Night 6 run was worth $1,479 and increased his Vegas cash to $55,539. He is 12th in the world standings with $164,867. “We’re still making a lot of money this week, but there’s a lot of money up for grabs, and it’s a good week to try to be greedy,” said Anderson, the 2019 intercollegiate champion at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I know everybody that’s entered is going to try to be, so we need to bear down and cook as much as we can. “You just have to have a short memory and focus on doing better on the next one. I’ve had a couple times where I just haven’t blown the barrier out and a couple times that I needed to do just a little better job on the ground. I’ve also not drawn one really good steer. I haven’t drawn on the best of them yet, and I’m looking forward to having one of those real good ones we can capitalize on going forward and see if we can get some good checks.” Getting a good start is vital. Steers are provided a head start, and the contestants must start behind a rope across the front of the timed-event box called a barrier. Leaving too early causes a 10-second penalty; leaving too late means Anderson has to catch up. The good news is that Anderson and his team are ready for the right opportunity. He is riding his horse, Whiskers, while relying on the hazing help of NFR veteran Tyler Pearson and his horse, Metallica. “Whiskers is working good,” he said. “I just need to do better and get a better start. (Tuesday) night, we got pointed at the steer a little bit, and he was trying. When he stepped toward me, it just hindered Whiskers on trying to have him. He had to ride around him to get to his head, which took us just a couple extra strides than it needed to.” The competition is tight, and with go-round winners pocketing nearly $37,000 a night, it’s just going to stiffen for four more nights. “It’s been a blast, but in the bulldogging, it’s all business,” Anderson said. “Up until your run, you’re focused on your business.” In rodeo, the business can be exceptional in Las Vegas, and Anderson is ready for that.

Bareback rider Cole Franks was matched with an old friend in Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co.’s Sippin Firewater. Franks rode the horse nearly five years ago, and the two tangled again for 85.5 points. Franks finished in a tie for fourth place in Tuesday’s sixth round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – In February 2021, Cole Franks was a 19-year-old cowboy who was being trained by his dad, Bret, the rodeo coach at Clarendon (Texas) College. Sippin Firewater was about 5 years old and was being used as a training tool for the Clarendon rodeo team. Bret Franks and the college had a partnership with Bill Hext, a livestock producer near Glazier, Texas, in which the student athletes would practice on the animal. “We called him Mouthwash when we had him, because it felt like you needed some mouthwash when you got done dealing with him,” said Cole Franks, 24, a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Clarendon. “He was a little hard to handle. “We bucked him in the bronc riding a bunch, and no one could ever get out on him or get a clean go or could ever really figure him out. Finally, one day, I just told Dad that I’m getting on him, and we came up with a game plan. He went out there and was and was an NFR-caliber horse from the first time I ever got on him.” The college and Hext sold the bronc to Rorey Lemmel, who owns Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co. Ten months later, both Cole Franks and Sippin Firewater were at the NFR for the first time. “That horse made everything start snowballing for me,” Franks said. “Right after I got on that horse, I finally started winning a little bit at the ProRodeos. For whatever reason, everything just clicked. That horse and both his brothers hold a pretty special spot for me.” It came full circle during Tuesday’s sixth round of this year’s NFR. Franks and Sippin Firewater danced across the Thomas & Mack Center dirt for 85.5 points. Franks finished in a tie for fourth place, collecting $12,420 – it was Franks’ biggest payday so far in Las Vegas. While the bronc is at an elite level in the sport, one brother remains a practice horse in Clarendon, and the other is being used as a pickup horse, “We didn’t really know anything about those three horses when we got them, and still really don’t know much about them,” he said, noting that a Hext bucking stallion has been breeding on the family’s ranch in the northeastern portion of the Texas Panhandle. “Since we knew who their dad is, we started breeding to that stud to see what we could get.” Raising bucking horses is an important step in the progression of rodeo. Bucking studs are matched with bucking mares to provide strong genetics, and the proof is shown at the 205 horses performing in Las Vegas. Sippin Firewater is one of them. “We’ve both grown up a lot since then,” Franks said. “He’s chilled out a lot, but he’s still very hair-triggered and he’s just a freakin’ bucking horse. When I first got on him, he didn’t really know what he was doing because I was the first person to ever stay on him after the second jump.” The horse has figured it out now. “When I got on him the first time, I was putting my rigging on him and talking to him, scratching under his chin,” he said. “That was one thing I figured out with him. If you just treat him kind of like a baby, love on him a little bit, he’d mellow out a little. He’s definitely a lot more bucking horse today than he was five years ago.” It’s been a bit of a slow ride in Sin City for Franks. He has ridden six broncs for a cumulative score of 507.25 points and earned $32,000. He is seventh in the world standings with $232,442. “We’re chipping away at it,” Franks said. “A little bit is better than nothing. I’m just going to keep doing my job. I’ve got the horse I wanted in (Wednesday’s) pen.” Franks will test Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Silver Beaver in Round 7. His traveling partner, Rocker Steiner, won Friday’s second round on the California bucking horse. “I was talking to Tim Bridwell (Tuesday), and I told him I predicted I’d be getting on his horse,” Franks said. “I guess I manifested it a little bit.” At this stage of the week with four rounds remaining in ProRodeo’s grand finale, the Texas cowboy is ready to do anything he can to collect some big Las Vegas cash.

Bareback rider Kade Sonnier picked up his first National Finals Rodeo go-round win, scoring 88 points on Land Of Fancy from Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics to do it during Tuesday’s sixth round. (PHOTO BY CASEY ST BLANC)   LAS VEGAS – It’s taken 16 nights of bucking horses at the National Finals Rodeo, but bareback rider Kade Sonnier finally cleaned off an item on his bucket list. “It took (16) rounds for me to get it done, and I thought I’ve had a lot of really good chances to do that in my first 15 rounds of the NFR,” said Sonnier, who rode Land of Fancy from Sankey Pro Rodeo for 88 points to win Tuesday’s sixth round. “Sometimes I might have cost myself, or sometimes the horses just didn’t have their day. “To be here in Round No. 6, it’s pretty special. We’re just halfway through this deal.” He qualified for ProRodeo’s grand championship in 2023 and finished third in the world standings that season, placing seven of 10 times, but he never picked up a round victory. So far this year, he’s ridden six horses for a cumulative score of 510.75 points and sits fourth in the average race. He’s also earned $96,150 in Las Vegas. “There’s a lot of money left to be won, and it’s a really good time to get hot riding bareback horses at the National Finals,” said Sonnier, 26, of Carencro, Louisiana. “I knew that I had a lot of ground to make up. Coming in, the No. 1 goal is to win the NFR average and just let the cards fall where they lay. “When it comes to winning a world title, I knew I had a lot of ground to make up there, too, but if we keep the glory to God for good draws and keep our chin down and keep spurring hard, you just do that. The reality is, we’re going to control the controllables, and the main thing of that is just having fun.” He is. He is fourth in the world standings with $267,657. He’s $154,000 behind the standings leader, Texan Rocker Steiner, but four round wins will put him within range. Winning the average title will pay an additional $94,000 bonus Saturday night. Sonnier has placed in four rounds so far, including the last three. The momentum is on his side, and he spurred Land Of Fancy like a man on a mission. His traveling partner, Kansan Jess Pope, finished third on the horse during last Thursday’s opening round. “That horse belongs to Wade Sankey, and I ran into Wade (Monday) night,” he said, pointing out that he finished second on Sankey’s Shoutin’ Shoes in Round 4. “I told him, ‘We’re going to do it tonight.’ I thought we were going to do it the other night and had a really good chance. “I had a chance to get on her before. I was 87 in Filer, Idaho, and I knew what that horse felt like then, and I knew coming into it tonight that I had a really good chance. She bails in the air and hangs and kicks hard, and she gives you all the timing in the world to be able to show off your deal. I’m just grateful she did her job to the best of her ability so I could do mine.” The fire has been lit, and the embers are burning. Four nights remain on Sonnier’s season, and he knows the task in front of him if he wants to walk away from the City of Entertainment with a Montana Silversmiths gold buckle.

Bradlee Miller got back in the money with an 87.25-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Blasting Sand to finish in a tie for fifth place in Monday’s Round 5 at the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY KATHRYN COLEMAN)   LAS VEGAS – Perseverance pays dividends in the end. It’s been a much rougher start to the National Finals Rodeo than bareback rider Bradlee Miller experienced a year ago. By the fifth round of the 2024 championship, he had aligned his pockets with more than $118,000 in Las Vegas cash. He earned just his second payday of this year’s finale with an 87.25-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Blasting Sand to finish in a tie for fifth place. That was worth $7,688 and pushed his NFR earnings to $27,151. He’s still fifth in the world standings with $234,625 and has five more chances to cash in at the biggest rodeo in the world, which features a $13.5 million purse. The opportunities are out there, and he will take his shot at them. Miller earned his position in this exclusive field with a strong campaign, and he’s among the best cowboys in the game. Expectations, though, are sometimes difficult to achieve given the stature of ProRodeo’s grand finale. Only the top 15 on the money list at the conclusion of the regular season advance to Las Vegas, to the competition is tough. In addition, bareback riders test their mettle and their skills while trying to spur 105 of the best bucking horses in rodeo. The men in the field selected them to be in the City of Entertainment. Blasting Sand certainly fits in that category. The Canadian bronc was part of big-marked rides all season, and Miller’s dance across the Thomas & Mack Center dirt was just another on the animal’s resume. At just 22, Miller’s body of work is just as stout. He finished last year’s NFR with $234,038 earned in over just 10 days of riding bareback horses. Things haven’t come together just yet for the Huntsville, Texas, cowboy, but the finale is at its midway point. Miller will kick off his second half by being matched with Irish Eyes of Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics for Tuesday’s sixth round. The big, powerful bay guided Cole Franks to an 88-point ride in July at Sheridan, Wyoming, and Kade Sonnier matched that score a couple weeks later in Cheyenne, Wyoming. That’s the kind of horse that can help Miller extend on the momentum he gained Monday night.

Cole Franks rides J-Bar-J’s Fringe Jacket for 87.25 points to finish in a tie for fifth place during Monday’s fifth round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY KATHRYN COLEMAN)   LAS VEGAS – Six years ago, Cole Franks was 18 years old with an eye for bucking horses. Fringe Jacket was 3 and had already drawn praise as one of the rising stars of bucking horses. He comes great genetics. His sire is Lunatic Fringe, which has produced many top bucking offspring. One of the most legendary stallions is Night Jacket, which sired Big Valley, Fringe Jacket’s mom. J-Bar-J’s Fringe Jacket is now 9 years old and is recognized as one of the top bucking horses in the business. “Guy French raised him,” Franks said of the Texas man, whose son rides bareback horses in the PRCA. “I’ve seen that horse when it was a colt they bucked under a dummy. Keenan Hayes (the 2023 world champion) got on it twice one week at the Junior NFR in like 2019, and I saw it then. Every time I’ve seen that horse, I wanted to get on that horse.” He got his chance and made it work. He rode the athletic bay for 87.25 points to finish in a tie for sixth place during Monday’s fifth round of bareback riding at the National Finals Rodeo. That was worth $7,688 and added a little more to Franks’ pocketbook. He has cleared $19,660 in five nights, but half that came with the $10,000 bonus all contestants receive when they qualify for ProRodeo’s premier event. It was also the second straight night in which Franks has placed after being shut out of the pay window after the opening three rounds. “That round money is not bad,” said Franks, 24, of Clarendon, Texas. “Compared to the first three days, it’s good. Something’s better than nothing. My confidence is where it needs to be. I’m doing my job.” When the business is riding bucking horses, it’s good to be in Las Vegas. There are a lot of rodeos in which Franks competes that a $7,700 paycheck would mean winning the rodeo; at the NFR, it’s because he finished just above the pay line. This is the place he wants to be in December, and he’s missed the finale just once since he was the 2021 Rookie of the Year. That came in 2023, when he finished 17th. He’s never seen a season where he wasn’t in the top 20, and he’s finished among the top 6 in each of his four appearances to the NFR. “I’m a little worried, but that’s because at this point of the NFR, I’m used to having a lot more won, and I’m sitting a lot better,” said Franks, who is seventh in the world standings with $220,022. “At the same time, I came in a lot higher this year than I ever have. I’m sitting about the exact spot I always have about this time, but I just haven’t made much money yet this week.” The 10-round marathon has reached its halfway point. In five days, world champions will be crowned, and over that stretch, go-round winners will collect nearly $37,000 a night. The opportunities are there for the taking. “It’s a restart (Tuesday),” he said. “I’m looking at it as two five-round rodeos. This rodeo is over, and tomorrow is a new rodeo.”

With veteran Matt Reeves hazing on trusty Kirk, left, J.D. Struxness placed again with a 4.0-second run during Monday’s fifth round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY KATHRYN COLEMAN)   LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo arena inside the Thomas & Mack Center is tiny. It’s dimensions pale to most complexes. Think basketball court or hockey rink, then add dirt. Timed-event cowboys know they need to be fast if they want to make money at ProRodeo’s premier championship. Steer wrestler J.D. Struxness is now in Las Vegas for the seventh time in his career. The 31-year-old is a veteran, not only of the game but of playing on the sport’s biggest stage. A year ago, he took advantage of that and battled his way to a world championship. He’s well on his way again. Struxness stopped the clock in 4.0 seconds to finish fourth in Monday’s fifth round, cashing in to the tune of $15,377. Over the first half of the 10-day championship, he has a cumulative time of 30.5 seconds – with a third of that coming from a 10-second penalty in Round 4 for not allowing the steer an appropriate head start – and still sits third in the average race. “We made a change to Kirk on the hazing side,” he said of the sorrel gelding, owned by Savannah Reeves and ridden by her husband, veteran hazer Matt Reeves. “My horse, Jenny, was getting a little sore, and with it being her first time here, we didn’t want to ruin her confidence for this building, because she has a lot of years left. “He’s only 6. She had a decent experience here, and we didn’t want to let that little injury affect her. So, we switched over to Kirk, the old trusty. We had a plan to have old trusty here in case we needed him.” Kirk will likely get the call the rest of the week. Struxness has earned $62,833 in five nights, and half the rodeo remains. He is just a half-second behind second place in the aggregate, and there’s momentum on which to build. “(Sunday) night was just a little mishap,” he said. “We didn’t do anything wrong; we just got unlucky. We were right on the barrier and just on the wrong side of great. (On Monday), we blew the barrier out and were able to place again. We left just a little bit cleaner, and that was the difference between great and a broken barrier.” Jenny isn’t the only young horse in the mix at Las Vegas. Struxness’ bulldogging mount, Ice, is 7, but the athletic gray gelding has been on top of his game. “It’s fun, because it’s getting pretty easy to get that start on him now, and he has his confidence up. He’s really running through there now, so we’re looking forward to the next five rounds.” A key ingredient is taking care of the animals. All athletes need to be in top form to compete at a championship event, and that includes the equines. “We feed him Unbeetable Feeds, which is a great company based out of Minnesota,” said Struxness of Milan, Minnesota. “It’s been an awesome partnership for me, and we’ve been really happy with their feeds. They are doing things left and right to keep up their game and upgrading their feeds, putting science behind it and getting it out there. They’re getting to see real results now.” So is Struxness, who has increased his season earnings to $201,505; he is fifth in the world standings. With go-rounds paying nearly $37,000, he has plenty of opportunity left to cash in big. Placing in the aggregate would be nice, too. If he remains third, he will add another $60,000 to his coffers Saturday night; If he moves up a spot, it’s a $16,000 increase. “When you get here, we all play to just knock it out of the park, but it’s not a disappointing NFR by no means,” he said. I think we’ve got everybody’s confidence built now, and we’re going to go ahead and let it rip the second five rounds.”

Kade Sonnier – seen celebrating at the end of his Round 4 ride – was all smiles after placing again with an 87.75-point ride during Monday’s fifth round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)   LAS VEGAS – The smile on Kade Sonnier’s face was infectious. He’d just completed an 87.75-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Night Flight, and he was excited. He celebrated with about 17,000 fans inside the Thomas & Mack Center as he took the bareback riding lead during Monday’s fifth round of the National Finals Rodeo. “I was really happy until the last few guys went,” Sonnier said with a grin. Sonnier was the eighth man to compete in the round, and he had every reason to be happy. Night Flight is one of the best horses in the business, and taking the lead in the NFR’s elite field is a big deal. But three of the men who went after him surpassed his score, and he dropped to fourth in the round. It was still worth $15,377, a payday rarely seen during the regular rodeo season. At the NFR, it’s a far cry from the nearly $37,000 earned by Texan Rocker Steiner, who scored 89 points to win the night. “That’s just a great set of bareback horses,” said Sonnier, 26, of Carencro, Louisiana, now competing at ProRodeo’s grand finale for the second time in his three-year career. “There are a lot of guys that would love to get on the horses we all got on, and we get to do that twice.” There are five pens of horses set in bareback riding: The hoppers, which are the easiest to ride; the souped-up hoppers, which offer a little more action; the rank pen, which are more powerful and throw some tricks; the eliminators, which are the toughest to tangle with; and the TV pen, so named because they are the best horses in the game and provide a lot of action and electricity. That’s the group of broncs that are out in the fifth and 10th round, so named because there was a time when only the final round of the NFR was broadcast. Those are the horses that cowboys win on all year and post huge scores doing so. “There were a lot of great horses out tonight,” he said. “This is one of the nights at the finals we all look forward to, because those are the horses you want to get on all year.” Despite a few early struggles – he didn’t place on Nights 1 and 3 and settled for a $5,000 check in the second round – Sonnier is having a good time in Las Vegas. He realized after Saturday night that he needed a mindset adjustment, and he focused on enjoying the experience. It’s paying off in the playing field. He finished second, collecting nearly $29,000, and gathered another big payday Monday. He has ridden five broncs for a cumulative score of 422.75 points and is fifth in the aggregate race. He’s also pocketed $59,482 in Sin City. That’s bound to make anyone happy. Of course, he’s also enjoying the experience and the fellowship he has with the 14 other bareback riders in the locker room. “A lot of people talk about how tight-knit the bulldoggers are, but there’s a lot of comradery in our locker room,” Sonnier said. “We support each other a lot. It’s not really us against each other; it’s us against the horses we have that night.” After he was done with his work, Sonnier spent the next seven rides as a cheerleader, rooting for the other men behind them. He watched as others dropped him down on list. “Yes, you want to win, and there’s some frustration that you don’t win,” he said. “You want everybody to do good, too, and you don’t wish anything bad on any of them.” Competition at a world-class level brings out the best in elite athletes, and Sonnier is ready to show his best side. That’s what champions do, whether they win or not.

Cole Franks rides Andrews Rodeo’s Fresno for 84 points to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place during Sunday’s fourth round of the National Finals Rodeo. It was the Texas cowboy’s first payday of this year’s championship. (PRCA PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)   LAS VEGAS – It’s a good thing Cole Franks spoke his mind a couple months ago. The bareback riders who qualified for the National Finals Rodeo got on a conference call to discuss what 105 horses they were going to have at the premier event. There are some disagreements and some haggling to break down the horses they considered the very best. Andrews Rodeo’s Fresno was one of them. “That horses is just really fast and pretty electric, and it’s a fun horse,” said Franks, who rode Fresno for 84 points to finish in a three-way tie for sixth in Sunday’s fourth round. “I fought my tail off to get that horse here this year. I’ve always liked that horse. I got on it in Salt Lake (Days of ’47 Rodeo) and did really well.” It paid off for Franks. It wasn’t much – just shy of $2,000 – but the 2021 intercollegiate champion and rookie of the year collected his first payday of this NFR. He is eighth in the world standings with $212,333. “You just have to have to freaking full send it,” said Franks, 24, of Clarendon, Texas. “It doesn’t matter what these horses are doing; you just have to spur. With fast horses like that one, it’s a little harder to just spur and go at them instead of flashing them up. It’s just go, go, go, go” He went, and while the ride was fast, his NFR has been slow. By this time a year ago, he had pocketed $65,000; this year, he’s at $12,000. “I’m riding just as good, if not better, than I ever have here,” he said. “It just seeks like I keep drawing toward the bottom of the pen or when I think I have a pretty good chance at winning a round or at least being at the top, those horses just don’t quite show up. “It’s hard not to get down a little bit, but at the same time, I feel I’m doing about as good as I could possibly do with what I’ve had so far.” He’s ridden four horses for a cumulative score of 334.5 points and sits seventh in the aggregate race. It’s a marathon in Las Vegas, not a sprint, and he has six more chances to take money out of Sin City. “It’s been kind of a bummer, and I felt like I was on a losing streak,” Franks said. “The last three times I’ve been here, everything just flowed really easily. “I’m know I’m doing my job, so this all depends on what the horse is going to control. That’s out of my control, so I’m not going to worry myself about it. If I was screwing up, it’d be a whole different story.” He’s writing the script, and there’s are more acts to follow.

A powerful faith and a consistent routine are a big part of Jess Pope’s life. He uses them in competition, too, and it works. He rode Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Happy Hour to a third-place finish in Sunday’s fourth round. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – The only things that have changed since bareback rider Jess Pope qualified for the National Finals Rodeo are circumstances. Everything else is the same. It’s what he likes, and it’s what has allowed him to succeed in business and in sports. His warmup is the same, as his pre-ride routine. It’s why he’s earned more than $2 million in just seven years in ProRodeo. “I moved back home (from Missouri Valley College) in ’21 and got married in ’23, but other than that, my daily life working at home is the exact same as it has been since I was in high school,” said Pope, 27, the 2022 world champion from Waverly, Kansas. His routine has been put on grand display over his six appearances at the National Finals Rodeo. He’s a three-time average champion, and he placed among the top five in the aggregate the last two seasons, too. About half his professional earnings have come from the championship event. He padded those stats with an 85.25-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Happy Hour to finish third in Sunday’s fourth round, pocketing just shy of $22,000. He has increased his Vegas earnings to $63,228 and sits third in the world standings with $267,000. “That’s a little horse,” he said of Happy Hour, acknowledging the bronc was featured in the “hopper pen,” recognized as an easier-to-ride group. “He fits in our hopper pen, but he bucks like a big horse. He wasn’t easy. He had a stutter-step here and there, an over-kick, and there’s a little bit of drop to him, so it was a little bit more work for me. That doesn’t bother me any.” Not much does. It’s a matter of confidence and faith. He attended church services Sunday morning, and the message reached him. “We just talked about praying to the Lord and asking to lead us on the path He wants us to go down,” Pope said. “I’ve been asking myself that quite a bit recently and really focused on it (Sunday). It makes it a lot easier to go in here and know this is where I’m supposed to be. “Faith is everything. There’s a purpose that I feel like I was put on this Earth to do. Itrust the process. I trust where I’m supposed to be.” Circumstances will continue to change. He and his wife, Sydney, are expecting their first child, so this is exciting time to build a family. The Popes have been building their spread in the Kansas Flint Hills, and now they’re adding to their household. “It really doesn’t change my perspective at all,” he said. “(Stock contractor) Dave Morehead told me when I first got married, ‘Don’t wait to have kids until you can afford them, just go ahead and start having them. Obviously, I’m blessed to be able to afford one, but I’m going to keep trying to grow our ranch, and then hopefully someday have something to give our kids. “If my kids wanted rodeo to be part of their lives, I’ll give them every opportunity for it. My parents did that for me, and I’ve made an amazing living out of it. I’ve made some of the best friends and family that I could ever dream of. The places I see and the people I get to meet are truly amazing.”

Bareback rider Kade Sonnier is trying to make the most out of his second trip to the National Finals Rodeo. He placed second in Sunday’s fourth round with an 86.75-point score. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – When Kade Sonnier speaks, it’s deliberate and well-intentioned. He’s mindful of his thoughts, which come from his actions. Now competing at his second National Finals Rodeo in three years, he has set a high standard for himself. His goal isn’t to place high; it’s to win the whole thing. It’s the approach he takes to every rodeo throughout the season, and it’s one he fancies at ProRodeo’s grand finale. He came close. Sonnier rode the Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics bronc Shoutin’ Shoes for 86.75 points to finish second in Sunday’s fourth round of bareback riding, collecting $28,980. It was a nice rebound after a not-so-nice performance during Saturday’s match-up with Dakota Rodeo’s Wild N Out, which is one of the hardest-to-ride horses in the field. “I don’t show up to win second,” said Sonnier, 26, of Carencro, Louisiana. “It sounds cocky, but it’s not. If you’re going to do this, if you’re going to partake in this sport of rodeo much less than even bareback riding, you’ve got to have that mindset. It’s do or die out there. I didn’t show up in Las Vegas to be the No. 3 guy in the world again. The last time I left here (in 2023), I was third in the world. “To be honest, I don’t want to be second in the world either. I showed up here to win a gold buckle, and that’s how I’ll nod my head.” That mindset led to a hiccup in Round 3. Sonnier spurred over the horse’s neck, which will often result in a deduction in points. Against an eliminator like Wild N Out, it could result in devastation. “I cost myself a chance,” he said. “I thought I had the best horse, probably one of the hardest horses in the pen. I was trying to do too much and trying to make things happen that maybe wasn’t going to happen. About the fourth or fifth jump, I set my right foot over. Tim O’Connell and Jess Pope both told me I’d done something only a handful of guys could do, and that saved my life. “I kept spurring because anybody else that would have spurred over that big sonofabitch would have hit the ground.” It was frustrating, because Sonnier prides himself on being able to ride the baddest broncs in the business, but that’s part of rodeo. “I also lost sight of the fact that I have to control what I can control, stay within myself and do what I do great,” he said. “I have to do what got me here, stay within Kade Sonnier.” He returned to form Sunday. Only Oklahoman Wacey Shalla was better, and that was by just a half point. Sonnier put together a solid spur ride, spurring Shoutin’ Shoes’ rapid-fire bucking motion through the eight-second performance. He made a mindset change just about the time the chute gate opened to begin the ride. “I’ve been super optimistic about my horses,” Sonnier said about being matched via the random draw. “Today, though I was just beat down. It was hard to be optimistic. I didn’t know I was going to have all that great of a chance to win the round. Then about that second jump when she hit and my feet came, I built my ride.” The race was on, and the results showed what a little bit of confidence can do for a competitor. Sonnier has earned $44,105 at this year’s NFR so far and pushed his season earnings to $215,612. He’s seventh in the world standings with six nights remaining on the ProRodeo season. “We’re fortunate to make a great living and win a lot of money out here, but it’s not about the money; it’s not about the glory,” Sonnier said. “It’s just about having fun riding bucking horses. “I was taking it too seriously. This is a business, and business is business, but at the end of the day, you only get to do this so many times. I know what it’s like to not be competing here, and I don’t want to ever happen again. I’m just trying to soak up all of it.”

Steer wrestler Tucker Allen scored his second round victory of the 2025 National Finals Rodeo, blasting a 4.0-second run to share the fourth-round title with Will Lummus. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Tucker Allen may need the write-off anyway. After his pickup was stolen from a parking lot near the Thomas & Mack Center, Allen has been hitching rides to work, which happens to be occurring in the arena for the National Finals Rodeo. Other than his ride situation and the police report, the job has been going well. He’s been taking care of business, and the proof came again with a 4.0-second run to share the Round 4 steer wrestling victory with Mississippian Will Lummas. That was worth $32,824 to each cowboy, and it could make for a nice downpayment on a replacement vehicle. “I can pay for Ubers now,” a smiling Allen said, nodding toward the $82,449 he’s earned in four Las Vegas nights. “I still have to buy a new truck.” Most of his earnings came on the second and fourth nights, those when he took at least a share of top honors; he also snagged a smaller payday for finishing in a tie for sixth place in Round 3. “While I was trying to get out of the barrier really good (timing the start), I was still a little late,” said Allen, 26, of Ventura, California. “It shows how good Banker is, even though I was off the barrier and still split the round.” The barrier line is stretched across the steer wrestler to allow for the steer to have a head start. Should the contestant not allow for that, the barrier will break, and the cowboy will be saddled with a 10-second penalty. “That just shows Banker’s horsepower,” he said. “That steer was really good on the ground, but I knew I had to get my feet down in a good spot. It could have been a little better, but it could have been a lot worse. It worked out.” There are layers to the NFR. There are 10 go-rounds with payouts to the top six places each night. There’s also the average race, which provides a healthy bonus to the top eight finishers when the rodeo concludes. Round winners earn $36,668 in every event; the average champion will pocket a $94,036 next Saturday. Allen has wrestled four steers to the ground in 17.9 seconds and is second in the aggregate race. He’s moved from fifth to second in the world standings with $233,316 and trails Lummus, the leader, by $23,000. With six rounds remaining, it’s too early to even consider the average placing, but should he hold his place, there would be a $76,000 bonus. “I’m treating every round like a one-header,” Allen said. “I’m forgetting about what happened behind me, and I’m not worried about the average ahead of me. I’d rather lose the world by breaking a barrier than backing off and not winning it. “I’m willing to take that risk.” Allen finished fourth in the average a year ago and said nobody even remembers it. They’ll remember two go-round victories from his second appearance in Las Vegas. “Hopefully we can win a few more,” he said.

Garrett Shadbolt rides Smith Pro Rodeos’ Mr. Harry for 85.5 points to place during Saturday’s third round of the National Finals Rodeo. After being offered a reride on his first attempt, the Nebraska cowboy had to tussle with two horses in the “eliminator pen.” (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – The “eliminator pen” of bareback horses at the National Finals Rodeo have an intimidating factor about them. They’re the scariest broncs in rodeo, and the men who ride them virtually lock themselves onto muscular flesh of equine dynamite. They have riggings that are strapped tightly to the bronc, then the gloves have binds on the outside of the pointer finger and pinky to secure their hands into the leather-and-rawhide handle. The power from the animal athlete is incredible. Just thinking about it can give a cowboy trepidation, but riding bucking horses is what they do. It may be silent in the locker room before the two nights of mayhem, because all focus is on the battle that is about to ensue. Over his four qualifications to the NFR, Garrett Shadbolt has had his share of tussles with the most-difficult-to-ride, so he knew what to expect. He gritted his teeth, climbed aboard Powder River Rodeo’s Juice Box and nodded his head. His back banged into the buckskin’s rump as the animal bucked, and Shadbolt’s right harm lunged forward. Torque pressed on his hand, elbow, shoulder and spine. It can be brutal; it looks brutal. Alas, Juice Box didn’t have the day needed. The judges noticed that and offered Shadbolt a reride, a chance to get on another horse for an opportunity to cash in during Saturday’s third round. It was a two-for-one special for Shadbolt, a 29-year-old bronc buster from Merriman, Nebraska. Maybe it was a two-for-one beating, but he made it work, spurring Smith Pro Rodeos’ Mr. Harry for 85.5 points to finish sixth in the round, worth $5,914. The big, powerful sorrel gelding provided the stuff Shadbolt needed to reach the pay window for the second straight night. He has increased his NFR earnings to $35,544 and sits eighth in the world standings with $202,805. Riding bareback horses can be difficult on the easiest of horses. The pressure provided by the circumstances – the rigging, the glove and the muscle-bound athlete underneath – sends jolts through a man’s body. Getting on two broncs a day will leave a cowboy spent. It’s just magnified greatly when that animal is of the stature reflected by Juice Box and Mr. Harry. Shadbolt was spent by the time Saturday’s performance came to a close. He’d earned every dollar he collected, and then some. He earned a few hours of rest and recovery, but it doesn’t last long in Las Vegas. He’s got seven more broncs to ride before his 2025 season comes to a close.

Steer wrestler Tucker Allen slides his steer en route to a 4.4-second run to finish in the money during Saturday’s third round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – When Tucker Allen enters the timed-event box, he turns around on a powerful bay gelding and backs Banker into the corner. As he sits and watches the steer in the chute, Allen can feel the tingles that run through his body as he prepares to compete. Those shivers are intensified when the panels and chute are the distinguishable color of yellow, reflecting on the magnitude of the National Finals Rodeo. But there’s also a calm that comes with confidence. As he sits astride the 2025 PRCA/AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, Allen’s confidence brews. It’s creating a stew based on all the exponential factors of his own ability, the greatness of the bay that’s about to burst out into the Thomas & Mack Center dirt and the man on his right, friend and traveling partner Justin Shaffer, who owns Banker and serves as Allen’s hazer to keep the steers in line. It’s a winning combination. After winning Friday’s round, Allen returned to the pay window with a 4.4-second run to finish in a tie for sixth place in Saturday’s third round. It was worth just shy of $3,000, but it was another step that contributes to success in the overall scheme of things. “Now, we know all the pens of steers,” said Allen, 26, of Ventura, California. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll see Jace Honey’s pen that went in the first round. I think it will get a lot wolfier. The guys know the cattle, know the starts to take, and I’m excited for that part.” Like all major professional athletes, cowboys do as much homework as possible. Allen and the other 14 bulldoggers know the three sets of steers that will be used during the NFR, and having seen the animals perform in Las Vegas gives them an idea of what it will be like when the random draw is released. “The biggest thing is you’ve got to know what start to take,” he said, referring to allowing the animal the appropriate head start to ensure a quality run necessary to cash in; only the top six placings earn money each of the 10 rounds. It’s going to be fast at the Thomas & Mack, so Allen wants Banker to take off right when the steer leaves the chute. “You’ve got to know the steer’s pattern on the field, and then, obviously, once you get ahold of them how they feel,” said Allen, who has accumulated just shy of $50,000 in three days and is third in the world standings with $200,493. “I make sure how they start, and then I just see what they do once you get them. I try not to overthink it a lot.” It’s working.

J.D. Struxness, the reigning world champion steer wrestler, continues to grind at the National Finals Rodeo. He finished fourth during Saturday’s third round. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Just like a snake in hiding, reigning world champion steer wrestler J.D. Struxness is waiting to strike. “I feel like we ran some runners,” Struxness said about the animals he has drawn through the opening three rounds of the National Finals Rodeo. “(Saturday) we ran one that was just OK.” He made the cow better, dropping it to the ground in 4.2 seconds to finish fourth on Night 3 of ProRodeo’s championship event. It was worth $15,377 and increased his NFR earnings to $47,457. He collected cash during Thursday’s first go-round, then just missed the pay window by a smidge Friday. “It feels good to collect another check,” said Struxness, 31, of Milan, Minnesota. “I think things are good. The horses are holding in there. We’re getting little things worked out here and there, and they’ll get stronger as the week goes on.” Progression and consistency are key ingredients in sports, especially at an event like the NFR, a true Western battle over 10 December nights. The Super Bowl is four quarters, and Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL have a seven-game series to crown their champions. Rodeo is a 10-day stretch in the Nevada desert. The main difference the players in the other professional leagues have guaranteed salaries and receive a bonus in the playoffs; rodeo contestants only collect what they earn, and they have to beat most of the field to garner a dime. In Las Vegas, if a cowboy doesn’t finish among the top six on any night, then he’s shut out. That’s why playing the game in the long run can pay off. Struxness knows all about that, now in his seventh qualification. He placed in eight rounds a year ago and left town with rodeo gold. “We’ll get on the better end of the steers eventually,” Struxness said of the random draw that happens an hour and a half before the rodeo begins at 7 p.m. Central. “We’ll just keep working this first half of the week and see where things are shaking out, and we’ll bet ready to put the hammer down in the second half.” There are plenty of factors that play into a bulldogger’s success. Not only does Struxness have to perform well, and it helps to be matched with one of the better steers in the pen of 15 used. It’s also vital to have quality horses – both his and that used by his hazer – to get him in position. In his case, Struxness is riding Ice, a 7-year-old gray, while veteran hazer Matt Reeves rides Jenny, a 6-year-old sorrel mare. “Ice is working good,” said Struxness, who is fifth in the world standings with $186,129. “We’re getting our feet on the ground. I feel like we’ve had some steers that tried, but we’re doing alright. If we get some better steers and get them some confidence, they’ll really get going then.”