Professional Rodeo Rundown: Bucking From California to Canada

Only five months remain in the year-long professional rodeo season. Those will be five very lucrative months for the best and brightest of professional rodeo in 2025, but many competitors have already had huge showings this season. As some contestants seek to hold onto their spot in the top 15 in the World Standings, others will battle their way into it over the coming months. Every rodeo and every check matters.

Springville Sierra Rodeo, Springville, Calif., April 26-27, $95,227 total payoff

It was a star-studded lineup in California during the spring run. Not only was there a theme of National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifiers finishing in the top spots in Springville, many were California cowboys.

NFR tie-down roper Brushton Minton earned the coveted All-Around Cowboy title. The Witter Springs, Calif., cowboy added to his second-place tie-down earnings with a fourth-place tie in the team roping. He currently sits no. 6 in the tie-down roping World Standings.

No. 11 in the World Standings, bareback rider R.C. Landingham took the win with 84.5 points aboard Four Star Rodeo's Carmelita. Hailing from Hat Creek, Calif., Landingham has won three rodeos (Thermal, Springville, Bakersfield) in his home state in the past month, along with several other checks at the Califronia rodoes.

The trend continued, with Cutter Machado of Santa Maria and Dalton Pearce of San Luis Obispo won the team roping with a 4.5-second run. Four-time NFR qualifier Lefty Holman calls Visalia, Calif., home. He tied with young gun Kaden Horrocks and Clovis, Calif., native, Reed Neely for the win in the saddle bronc riding.

Broncs & Honky Tonks Rodeo, Medicine Hat, Alberta, April 25-27, $83,385 total payoff

Heading north of the border, Medicine Hat, Alberta, also saw great rodeo action over the recent weekend. The cowboys and cowgirls of Alberta absolutely dominated the event.

Bryn Roy topped the steer wrestling with a speedy 3.7 seconds. Kash Bonnett won the team roping with partner Logan Cullen at 4.4 seconds. NFR saddle bronc rider Kolby Wanchuk rode Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Double Red for an incredible 90 points to win the saddle bronc riding. Logan Bird took the win in the tie-down roping with an 8.5-second run. By nearly four-tenths of a second, Bradi Whiteside won the barrel racing at 12.28 seconds. In the bull riding, Coy Robbins earned the top spot with an 87-point ride on Duane Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Boss Feeds Shake It Off.

Taber Spring Classic Pro Rodeo, Taber, Alberta, April 25-27

Another Alberta rodeo, many contestants from Medicine Hat also picked up checks in Taber.

Richmond Champion and Samuel Peterson tied for the win in the bareback riding at 81 points. Champion also placed third in Medicine Hat. Kolby Wanchuk tied for second-place in the saddle bronc riding, earning his second check on the weekend. Barrel racer Bradi Whiteside tied for eighth.

Angelina Benefit Rodeo, Lufkin, Texas, April 23-26, $120,266 total payoff

One may be tempted to think that with multiple rodeos spread across the continent on one weekend, the competition might not be as tough. Nothing could be further from the truth. We saw NFR qualifiers and World Champions from California to Texas to Alberta.

In Lufkin, Tanner Tomlinson and Travis Graves continued their fantastic 2025 season, earning the average win in the team roping. Chase Brooks won the saddle bronc riding with an 86.5-point ride. Marcos Costa and Blane Cox tied for the win in the average of the tie-down roping. Sherry Cervi won the barrel racing with a 15.89-second run.

A particularly fun note - Ramon De Souza made the ony qualified ride in the bull riding, earning $16,066. At just 21 years old, De Souza won his first professional rodeo money less than a month ago.

Henderson County First Responders PRCA Rodeo, Athens, Texas, April 25-26, $46,103 total payoff

World Champions Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp earned the win in the team roping with a 4.8-second run. Jacobs Crawly and Chris Williams tied for the win in the saddle bronc riding with 84.5 points. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade won the barrel racing with a 15.31-second run. T Parker banked $5,150 as one of only three qualified rides in the bull riding, taking the win.