Resistol Rookies Battle for Trip to NFR in Final Days of Season

The 2025 rodeo season is almost over, and the Resistol Rookie bull riders are looking for good draws and substantial paydays as they fight to hold their spot in the top fifteen and head to Las Vegas come December.

Each year the talent of the next generation of rodeo athletes continues to set new bars and push the boundaries of the sport. This year is no different, with four rookie bull riders vying for their chance to see the iconic yellow bucking chutes. 

Breaking Down Their 2025 Seasons

Nineteen-year-old Hudson Bolton, who calls Milan, Tenn., home, sits at the number eight spot and leads the rookie race with $163,355 earned so far in his 2025 season . The seven riders ahead of him are all either past Resistol Rookies of the Year and or National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifiers.  

Bolton has been cashing checks everywhere he goes. The young bull rider's momentum started in April at the Clovis Rodeo. While he didn’t take home the championship title, his second-place finish sent him down the road with an $8,017 check that kicked his season into gear. 

Since then Bolton's big-money earners have included a $13,176 win at the Hugo Pro Rodeo, a $5,148 check from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo, $4,968 at the Coleman PRCA Rodeo, a $7,500 first-round win at the NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, $4,975 from the Ellensburg Rodeo, $10,716 for his New Mexico State Fair & Xtreme Bulls Victory, and plenty of check in between.  

While he started out as a rugby player in Koumala, Queensland, Qynn Andersen has been making quite a name for himself as a bull rider stateside. 

At just 22, Andersen is sitting second in the rookie race and holding the No.11 spot in the world standings with $142,788 to his name. He’s been cashing checks all season with highlights including two round wins in Mercedes, Texas, at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show and Rodeo Xtreme Bulls, the average and final-round victories at the Greely Stampede for a  combined was $9,580, and a round win at the Cheyenne Frontier Days worth $12,242, 

Huntsville, Texas, cowboy Bryce Jensen is sitting at No. 13 in the standings and making a final push to hold his spot and accomplish his dream – qualifying for the NFR. He has earned $133,391.82 so far in the 2025 season. While his wins might not total as much as those previously mentioned, Jensen is the perfect example of how consistency, cashing checks and second-place finishes can be crucial in the sport of rodeo.

Right on the bubble, holding the No. 15 spot, is Luke Mackey of Ignacio, Colo. The 2025 highlights for this rookie include the Permit Members of the Year Challenge, Resistol’s Stampede at Ike presented by Cinch, Steamboat Springs, Fallon County Fair & Rodeo and The West’s Most Western Rodeo. His season earnings so far total $129,379 and he is looking to cash more checks until Sept.30  to secure his spot and head to the Thomas & Mack.   

The final few weeks are always the biggest push for rodeo athletes and these Resistol rookies are no different as they fight to keep their spots in the standings. 

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