Shadbolt happy for NFR money
Garrett Shadbolt had to wait out some tense moments but secured a big-money payday after his 84-point ride on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Big Show to finish in a tie for third place in Friday’s second round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL) LAS VEGAS – Garrett Shadbolt had reserved himself to […]
Allen drives right to round title
Tucker Allen competed in his 12th National Finals Rodeo go-round Friday and won the night with a 3.6-second steer wrestling run, earning a trip to the South Point for the buckle presentation. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL) LAS VEGAS – It’s eight miles from the Thomas & Mack Center to the South Point, but the […]
Bourgeois rides the NFR nerves
National Finals Rodeo first-timer Waylon Bourgeois didn’t let any rookie jitters get in the way during Thursday’s opening performance. He finished second in the first go-round and earned nearly $29,000. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN) LAS VEGAS – Waylon Bourgeois isn’t going to lie. The emotions surrounding his first qualification to the National Finals […]
Patterson rides high on Night 1
Weston Patterson made his first ride at his first National Finals Rodeo count, scoring 88.5 points on Cervi’s Womanizer to finish second during Thursday’s opening round. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN) LAS VEGAS – A few minutes after his opening-round ride at the National Finals Rodeo, saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson was looking for […]
Pope finds cash on NFR Night 1
Jess Pope, the 2022 world champion bareback rider, returned to his home turf at the National Finals Rodeo, scoring a third-place finish during Thursday’s opening round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN) LAS VEGAS – Home for Jess Pope is a nice place in the Kansas Flint Hills that he […]
Champ starts off well at NFR
Defending steer wrestling world champion J.D. Struxness kicked off his 2025 National Finals Rodeo by finishing in a three-way tie for second place in Thursday’s first round. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN) LAS VEGAS – The money in ProRodeo has changed considerably since J.D. Struxness first started his career. Nine years ago, he earned […]
Miller braces for NFR excellence
Bradlee Miller rides Championship Pro Rodeo’s Sweet Tequila for 86 points to finish fifth during Thursday’s first round of the National Finals Rodeo at Las Vegas. (PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN) LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo offers tremendous challenges that cowboys and cowgirls must overcome. Bradlee Miller experienced a new one on […]
Hanchey pops NFR bubble
Cinch tie-down roper Shane Hanchey snuck into the field of 15 to make his 16th straight appearance at the National Finals Rodeo. He is the 2013 world champion and a two-time NFR average titlist. (PRCA PHOTO BY HAILEY RAE) Cinch tie-down roper secures 16th straight trip to grand finale Shane Hanchey utilizes a simple […]
Sonnier ready for NFR’s glory
Bareback rider Kade Sonnier will compete at his second National Finals Rodeo in three years when the 10-day championship begins later this next week. He is sixth in the world standings and will battle for rodeo’s gold at Las Vegas. (PHOTO BY DAVE JENNINGS) CARENCRO, La. – Even business trips to Las Vegas are […]
Ability comes in Gray matter
T.J. Gray returns for his second straight qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. His first venture to Las Vegas last December offered a dose of reality, but it also served as a valuable lesson he will have with him when he returns next week. (PRCA PHOTO BY HAILEY RAE) Cinch cowboy one of six […]
Teams ready for NFR moments
Cinch header Kolton Schmidt roped with eight partners through the 2025 regular season; Cinch heeler Jonathan Torres will be his ninth when the two compete next week at the National Finals Rodeo. They are two of 18 Cinch cowboys competing in team roping. (PHOTO BY RIC ANDERSEN) 18 Cinch cowboys will rope for rodeo’s […]
Thurston leads a hungry pack
Eight Cinch cowboys are among the saddle bronc riding qualifiers to this year’s National Finals Rodeo, led by four-time world champion Zeke Thurston, who won the third round of the 2024 NFR on Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Valley. (PRCA PHOTO BY ROSEANNA SALES) Four-time world champion one of eight Cinch bronc riders ready for […]
Lucia adds his voice to NFR
Anthony Lucia is the reigning two-time PRCA Announcer of the Year, but he returns to Las Vegas as one of the three announcers selected to emcee the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN) Cinch announcer joins veterans inside the Thomas & Mack Anthony Lucia stood surrounded by a packed inside the Thomas & […]
Youth movement hits rodeo
Cooper Cooke of Victor, Idaho, is one of three Cinch bareback riders that will compete at the 2025 National Finals Rodeo. Cooke will return to Las Vegas for the second straight year and will be joined by Texan Cole Franks and Louisianan Waylon Bourgeois. (PRCA PHOTO BY ALEXIS CADY) Cinch bareback riders will put […]
Struxness ready for NFR shine
J.D. Struxness will have an opportunity to defend his steer wrestling world championship during his seventh qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. Struxness, the 2016 intercollegiate champion, heads to Las Vegas No. 6 in the world standings. (PRCA PHOTO BY ROSEANNA SALES) MILAN, Minn. – The gleam of gold will tarnish, but what that […]
Shadbolt ready for NFR revenge
After some struggles at the 2024 National Finals Rodeo, Nebraska bareback rider Garrett Shadbolt let it motivate him this season. He earned nearly $170,000 riding bucking horses and will return to the NFR for the fourth time. (PRCA PHOTO BY PHIL DOYLE) MERRIMAN, Neb. – Garrett Shadbolt has been on a 12-month mission. It’s […]
Miller confident heading to NFR
Over the last 12 months, Bradlee Miller has earned more than $440,000 riding bucking horses, including $234,000 at last year’s National Finals Rodeo. He returns to the scene of the crime as the third-ranked bareback rider in the world standings. (PRCA PHOTO BY ALEXIS CADY) HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The life Bradlee Miller had as […]
Anderson stays steady for NFR
Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson utilized a steady approach to his 2025 regular season. The result is a return to ProRodeo’s grand championship, the National Finals Rodeo, where the North Dakotan will be in a battle for the world championship. (PRCA PHOTO BY CLICK THOMPSON) CARRINGTON, N.D. – The old adage “slow is smooth; smooth […]
Pope ready to shine in Vegas
Jess Pope enters his sixth straight National Finals Rodeo fourth in the bareback riding world standings. He’s had great success at the NFR, with three average titles, a world championship and nearly $1 million in earnings over 50 go-rounds. (PRCA PHOTO BY CLICK THOMPSON) WAVERLY, Kan. – Jess Pope’s star has shined bright most […]
Thompson to defend gold buckle
Bareback riding world champion Dean Thompson will try to defend his Montana Silversmiths gold buckle during his third qualification to the sport’s Super Bowl, the National Finals Rodeo. Thompson won the average championship in 2024, which catapulted him to the top of the bareback riding mountain. (PRCA PHOTO BY ALEXIS CADY) ALTAMONT, Utah – […]
Allen carrying a swagger to NFR
Tucker Allen returns to his second straight National Finals Rodeo as the No. 5 man in the steer wrestling world standings. The California cowboy will battle for the most cherished prize in rodeo, the world champion’s gold buckle, during 10 days in Las Vegas. (PRCA PHOTO BY HAILEY RAE) VENTURA, Calif. – The boundary […]
Clarendon College to honor NFR cowboys
CLARENDON, Texas – The Clarendon College rodeo team is off to a hot start to the 2025-26 season, the inaugural campaign of the Caprock Region. The Bulldogs have won men’s team titles at all five fall rodeos, from Eastern New Mexico University in mid-September to the home rodeo this past weekend at Childress. The program […]
Franks ready to star at the NFR
Bareback rider Cole Franks returns for the fourth time to the National Finals Rodeo, where he has found great success in his first 30 rounds of competition in Las Vegas. He finished the regular season fifth in the world standings with a shade more than $200,000. (PRCA PHOTO BY CLICK THOMPSON) CLARENDON, Texas – […]
Patterson prepping for first NFR
Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson had the best season of his young career with big-time rides at big-time rodeos, like the Calgary Stampede. He will compete at the National Finals Rodeo for the first time as the 11th-ranked man in the world standings. (PHOTO BY EMILY GETHKE/Calgary Stampede) WAVERLY, Kan. – Growing up near […]