Two more rounds are complete inside Dickies Arena as Round 4 advances another group of the best to the semi finals.
Bracket 4 of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo may have been the most exciting yet. The leaderboards continued to tighten through the two nights across the board.
It is not surprise, that World Champion Bareback Rider and 6 time NFR qualifier Jess Pope finished first in the bracket with $4,000 won. He was 84 points in the first round followed by a round 2 win with 85.5 on Smith Pro Rodeos' Indecent Exposure.
Tristan Hansen followed close behind in second with $3,800, while Nick Pelke placed third with $3,063 and advances to the Wild Card.
Steer wrestling was a stacked roster and the guys sure showed up. Bridger Anderson topped the stacked field with $4,400 won to secure a semifinal spot. His 3.6 was enough for the round one win and the fastest time of the bracket. Justin Shaffer finished second with $4,000 after his round 2 win. Kyle Irwin will advance to the Wild Card after coming in third.
In the Tie-Down Roping Cory Solomon claimed first overall after winning Round 2 with an 8.2. Haven Meged finished second to move on, while Michael Otero heads to the Wild Card after splitting Round 1 with Meged on matching 8.8-second runs.
Breakaway roping was tight per usual. Cadee Williams won Round 1 with a 2.0 and stayed near the top with a 2.6 in Round 2 to advance on top of the bracket. Kinlie Brennise coming off an NFBR average win followed with times of 2.6 and 2.1 to also move on to the semifinals. Samantha Fulton made the most of Round 2, winning it with a 2.0 to earn a Wild Card spot.
Team roping featured consistency across both rounds. James Arviso and Rance Doyal topped the bracket with $4,400 each. Arviso, the reigning PRCA Rookie of the Year, continued his strong start to the season. Cash Duty and Calgary Smith finished second, while Jake Orman and Caleb Green placed third and advance to the Wild Card.
Saddle bronc riding was controlled from start to finish by Rusty Wright, who swept both rounds to win the bracket with $5,000. Chase Brooks finished second to advance, and Leon Fountain earned the Wild Card spot.
Barrel racing proved to be one of the toughest brackets of the 2026 rodeo. Carlee Otero delivered two clean, fast runs, stopping the clock in 16.26 in round 1. Then she ran the fastest time of the rodeo with a 16.08 in Round 2 to tie the Fort Worth arena record.
This was shortly after watching her husband Michael in the tie down roping advance to the wild card round.
The barrel racing has seen multiple clean sweeps through the brackets, but Oteros would come out to be the fastest so far.
Makenna Shook finished second overall, while Acey Pinkston moves on to the Wild Card.
Bull riding closed out Bracket 4 with four qualified rides across two rounds this time. Luke Mackey was the only cowboy to stay aboard both of his bulls, winning Round 1 with an 88 aboard Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Tickle My Fancy and following with a second-place finish in Round 2 to take the bracket win. Dustin Boquet advances alongside Mackey to the semifinals, while Tristan Mize heads to the Wild Card.
Stay tuned for more coverage from the 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo!