For the second time in three years, Iowan Trevor Reiste won the bull riding title at Rooftop Rodeo. He rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Brimstone for 87 points.
(PHOTO BY PHILLIP KITTS)

 

ESTES PARK, Colo. – Big crowds packed into six nights of Rooftop Rodeo, an explosion of entertainment and championship competition.

The frenzy was on, from Monday’s opening night to Saturday’s finale. The audiences witnessed world champions, rodeo’s elite and a record payout. While the World Cup was happening across North America, cowboys and cowgirls played their game in the Estes Park arena’s dirt.

While millions of soccer fans tuned into the action on the various pitches, Trevor Reiste is busy crossing the country riding bulls. There are no ties in this game. It’s either win or lose.

Alas, in his previous match-ups with Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Brimstone, they each had a victory. He won the 2024 Jim Baier Chute Out Rodeo on the bull in Fort Madison, Iowa, then bucked off the animal in Eagle, Colo. The rubber match came Thursday night inside Granny May Arena.

“I don’t really do any game planning,” said Reiste,33, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Linden, Iowa. “I just ride them jump for jump. They’re animals, so they can do whatever they want on a given day.”

It’s a formula that has worked well. After starting the year with a $20,000 payday in Houston, Reiste suffered a dislocated elbow a few weeks later.

“I had to sit out, and then my son was born,” he said. “I’ve had a lot more downtime than I was originally planning on.”

He picked up a big victory last week when he won the bull riding title in Oakley, Utah, worth $10,421.

His victory in Estes Park is the second of the week and proves that momentum is big. He entered this week 39th in the world standings, so the $5,104 he earned at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park will certainly help.

“The committee upped the added money, so it pays pretty danged good,” said Reiste, who pocketed $18,800 the last time he won Rooftop Rodeo when he was the only bull rider to make a qualified ride.

The last time he won Rooftop Rodeo, he qualified for his second NFR to go along with his inaugural trip to Las Vegas in 2017. He’d love for that trend to continue, but he’s got some ground to make up before the regular season ends Sept. 30.

“There’s a lot of good-paying rodeos ahead of us, so we’ll just keep at it,” Reiste said.

Rooftop Rodeo
July 6-11, 2026
All-around cowboy: Garrett Uptain, $681, saddle bronc riding and bull riding.

Bareback riding: 1. Cooper Cooke, 84.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Tail Tuck, $5,182; 2. Collin Roland, 84, $3,973; 3. (tie) Carson Hildre and Ben Kramer, 82.5, $2,418 each; 5. Keenan Hayes, 81, $1,209; 6. (tie) Cole Hollen and Dalton Williams, 79.5, $777 each; 8. (tie) Hunter Greenup, Jayco Roper and Jade Taton, 79, $173 each.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Bridger Anderson, 3.5 seconds, $2,004; 2. Talon Roseland, 3.9, $1,743; 3. (tie) Tucker Allen and Shayde Etherton, 4.0, $1,351 each; 5. (tie) Chance Howard and Winsten McGraw, 4.1, $828 each; 7. (tie) Marc Joiner and Jacob Wang, 4.2, $305 each. Second round: 1. Winsten McGraw, 3.5 seconds, $2,004; 2. Jesse Brown, 3.6, $1,743; 3. (tie) Ty Allred, Tory Johnson and Traver Johnson, 3.7, $1,220 each; 6. (tie) Cody Devers and Boyd Sawyer, 4.0, $566 each; 8. Garrett Oates, 4.1, $174. Average: 1. Winsten McGraw, 7.6 seconds on two head, $3,007; 2. Traver Johnson, 8.0, $2,615; 3. Talon Roseland, 8.2, $2,222; 4. Shayde Etherton, 8.4, $1,830; 5. Jesse Brown, 8.5, $1,438; 6. Chance Howard, 8.7, $1,046; 7. (tie) Eli Lord, Cody Devers and Tory Johnson, 8.9, $305 each.

Team roping: 1. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 4.6 seconds, $4,583 each; 2. Conley Kleinhans/Kyler Kanady, 4.7, $3,972; 3. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Kaden Profili and Shay Dixon Carroll/Jace Helton, 4.8, $3,361 each; 5. (tie) Jr. Dees/Landen Glenn, Dawson Graham/Dillion Graham and Jet Toberer/Tyler McKnight, 4.9, $2,444 each; 8. Cory Kidd V/Carson Johnson, 5.0, $1,833; 9. Cyle Denison/Braylon Tryan, 5.1, $1,528; 10. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Sid Sporer and Blaine Turner/Scout McElroy, 5.3, $1,146 each; 12. J7 Bland/Truman Magnus, 5.6, $917; 13. Walker Smith/Will Smith, 6.5, $611; 14. Joshua Torres/Jake South, 9.1, $458; 15. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 9.2, $306.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Mitchell Story, 83 points, $5,245; 2. (tie) Ira Dickinson and Jackson Ford, 81.5, $3,497 each; 4. Darcy Wockner, 81, $1,923; 5. Damian Brennan, 80.5, $1,224; 6. (tie) Tanner Butner and Cooper Thatcher, 80, $787 each; 8. (tie) Roper Kiesner and Waitley Sharon, 79.5, $262 each.

Breakaway roping: 1. Kimberly Williams, 2.1 seconds, $4,437; 2. Brooke Bruner, 2.2, $3,549; 3. (tie) Dara Belew, Taylor Engesser, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh, Cheyanne McCartney, Jade Mitchell and Amanda Terrell, 2.3, $1,719 each; 9. Bradi Good, 2.4, $887; 10. (tie) Zoie Bedke, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Addie Beth Denton, Nicole Hadley and Aspen Miller, 2.5, $555 each; 15. (tie) Emilee Charlesworth, Karrigan Graves, Kendal Pierson and Haiden Thompson, 2.6, $55 each.

Tie-down roping: 1. (tie) John Douch and Haven Meged, 7.6 seconds, $4,738 each; 3. Chase Webster, 8.0, $4,061; 4. Lucas Potter, 8.1, $3,384; 5. (tie) Cole Clemons and Brayden Roe, 8.3, $2,876 each; 7. (tie) Tuf Cooper, Austin Hurlburt, Max Mathis and Brushton Minton, 8.4, $1,861 each; 11. (tie) Marcos Costa and King Pickett, 8.5, $1,100 each; 13. (tie) Daxton Hill and Mason Stueve, 8.7, $592 each; 15. Cory Bomhoff, 8.8, $338.

Barrel racing: 1. Abby Phillips, 15.26 seconds, $6,002; 2. Kim Squires, 15.44, $4,802; 3. Jana Bean, 15.46, $3,901; 4. Carley Cervi, 15.51, $3,001; 5. Andrea Busby, 15.53, $2,401; 6. Shy-Anne Jarrett, 15.54, $1,801; 7. Lanita Peirce, 15.55, $1,500; 8. Rachel Huerkamp, 15.60, $1,350; 9. McKenna Coronado, 15.63, $1,200; 10. Raelin Jurgens, 15.65, $1,050; 11. BryAnna Haluptzok, 15.66, $900; 12. (tie) Chloe Gray and Lindsey Muggli, 15.67, $675 each; 14. Taryn Boxleitner, 15.69, $450; 15. Loralee Ward, 15.70, $300.

Bull riding: 1. Trevor Reiste, 87 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Brimstone, $5,104; 2. Gavin Mitchell, 85.5, $3,913; 3. (tie) Gavin Knutson and Elijah Mora, 84, $2,382 each; 5. Tyce Willis, 82, $1,191; 6. Afonso Quintino, 80, $851; 7. Garrett Uptain, 79, $681; 8. Cimarron Rucker, 78.5, $510.