Rodeo News

Bentli Taylor: Learning to Win Without Losing What Matters

By Lori Bizzell Photos Courtesy of Bentli Taylor I had a chance to connect with Bentli, and what stood out to me first wasn’t an impressive list of titles; it… The post Bentli Taylor: Learning to Win Without Losing What Matters first appeared on Rodeo Life.

Rodeo Power Couple Makes It Official With Engagement

Many people set new goals and usher in the changing of the calendar with their New Year's Resolutions. One of rodeo's power couples made some plans for themselves as well - a wedding.

2026 PRCA & WPRA World Standings Leaders at the Dawn of a New Year

One of the most unique (and confusing) things about professional rodeo is how the season works. The rodeo season ends on September 30 and begins again on October 1.

Three Barrel Racers Earned NFR Round Checks Aboard Multiple Horses

It is no secret that it takes a very special horse to compete at the professional level of any equine sport. The horsepower currently competing in the barrel racing of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) is truly outstanding.

Adios Pantalones Reaches Feat No Other Stallion Has Done in Barrel Racing History

The National Finals Rodeo brought more than just action-packed nights and top-of-the-line performances from the best rodeo athletes in the world; it was also the biggest payout these cowboys and cowgirls have ever seen at the NFR.

Meet the NFR Barrel Racing Sires Who Also Competed in the Thomas & Mack

A small group of stallions can claim the honor of qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and a select few also had offspring competing at the 2025 NFR.

Four Bull Riders Fought for Resistol Rookie of the Year Honors During 2025 NFR

It isn't often that the Resistol Rookie of the Year honor is decided at the NFR as qualifying to the big show in one's first official year of rodeo is seen few and far in between.

AQHA To Honor Legacy of the Fordham Family With 2025 Show Legacy Award

Without those who produce the best of the best equine athletes, the competitive showmanship sports would cease to exist. It’s families like the Fordhams

Cheyenne Frontier Days Released Phenomenal Concert Lineup For 2026

It is never too early to start planning for the summer, especially when it comes to booking concert tickets and with the lineup that Cheyenne Frontier Days recently released, it is crucial that one buys their tickets sooner rather than later.

Barrel Racer Kathy Grimes Put On Clinic at National Western Stock Show Qualifier

The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo is set to kick off on January 15 in Denver, Colo. This is easily the biggest rodeo that 2026 season has to offer

Four-Time World Champion Rewrote National Finals Rodeo Record Books Once Again

This wasn't the picture-perfect finals that fans are used to seeing from Hailey Kinsel and the 2x WPRA Horse of the Year, DM Sissy Hayday aka Sister. A trio of hit barrels kept her out of contention for her fifth gold buckle, as well as kept her from finishing inside the top-five in the world.

Mowry Captures Second Consecutive WPRA Barrel Racing World Championship

When casual rodeo fans saw that 2024 WPRA World Champion Barrel Racer Kassie Mowry would be competing in Las Vegas without Force The Goodbye ("Jarvis"), they may have underestimated her.

Makenzie Mayes Crowned 2025 Barrel Racing Resistol Rookie of the Year

The National Finals Rodeo celebrates more than just world champions; it’s also where Resistol’s Rookie of the Year is recognized for their efforts in their first year of rodeo.

California Circuit Finals Set To Crown Champions on New Year's Eve

The $56,000 added California Circuit Finals Rodeo will ring in the new year in Red Bluff, Calif., at the Pauline Davis Pavilion. Held December 29-31, the rodeo will determine another set of qualifiers for the 2026 NFR Open.

Looking Back to Determine The Top 5 NFR Earners in Each Event

A full year of traveling up and down the rodeo road is expensive. Many times, cowboys and cowgirls just break even trying to get to the NFR. The profit happens with what they win after they arrive in Las Vegas.

Ty Erickson Surpasses $2 Million in Career Earnings After Impressive 2025 NFR

Ty Erickson capitalized this year at the 2025 National Finals Rodeo (NFR). Erickson entered the finals ranked No. 14 in the world standings, and after placing in five of the ten rounds, he won over $130,000.

Plourde Sparkles Her Way to $5,000 Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award Win

The reality of rodeo is often better than any fiction that could be written. When Julie Plourde finished the 2025 professional rodeo season in the dreaded No.

Road to Denver Complete for Timed Event Cowboys at National Western Stock Show

Sam Petersen Shines in NFR Debut, Finishes as Bareback Average Champion

The National Finals Rodeo was packed with the best rodeo athletes putting on their best performances of the year. All season long, bareback riders worked for this moment, and to hopefully go home with a title.

Taylor Munsell Clutches NFBR World Championship Title in Final Hour

The National Finals Breakaway Roping wrapped up in dramatic fashion with a three-way tie in Round 10, ultimately determining the world champion. After a record-breaking season, Taylor Munsell finished strong with a 2.0-second run to seal her first gold buckle.

Rocker Steiner Raises Bar With New Bareback Riding Season Earnings Record

At just 22 years old, Rocker Steiner is making a habit of breaking records. When he was 18 and only a few months into his professional career, he won the Riggin Rally in Darby, Mont., aboard the legendary Virgil of C5 Rodeo.

Three-Way Tie in Round 10 Determines 2025 WPRA Breakaway World Champion

The final five rounds of competition at the National Finals Breakaway Roping were red hot. Records were broken, and champions were crowned. At the end of it all, it was Taylor Munsell who walked away as the 2025 NFBR World Champion.

2025 Team Roping World Champions Accredit Many for First Career Gold Buckle

This was a year of firsts in the team roping. It was the first time that Andrew Ward and Jake Long had paired up to compete together, and it was the first time that either had finished the NFR as the World Champions, which almost feels hard to believe after the already lucrative careers that the pair has had.

Tyler Calhoun Claims Tie-Down Rookie of the Year After Breakout 2025 Season

The National Finals Rodeo marked the end of the 2025 rodeo season and it was an epic one. Records were broken and rookies came into the arena for the first time and made quick work at becoming the best of the best.

Hali Williams Wins 3 Rounds to Start NFBR With Statement Performance

The long-awaited National Finals Breakaway Roping is finally underway, and the pace has been set. While Taylor Munsell came into the finals with a substantial lead, a rough showing in the first five rounds has left the door wide open for Josie Conner, who is closing in fast.