After coming up short a year ago, Steiner entered Round 10 willing to give everything with his first gold buckle on the line.
The bareback riding world championship came down to the final ride on Saturday night, closing a season defined by record earnings and one of the most competitive fields fans have ever seen.
After leading the standings for much of the year and setting the single-season earnings record, Rocker Steiner entered the 2025 National Finals Rodeo as the man to catch. The finals did not unfold easily, though. Missed opportunities and disappointment early in the week tightened the race, forcing Steiner to fight through the final rounds to reclaim his position atop the world standings.
The final round delivered the big moment he needed.
Round 10
The last round of the bareback riding opened with momentum and never let up.
Bradlee Miller set the tone early with a strong 87.25-point ride, followed by Mason Clements, who raised the bar with 87.75 points. Dean Thompson, the 2024 world champion, covered his horse for 89.25 points, to take the lead again.
Cooper Cooke followed with one of the standout rides of the night. Battling injuries throughout the finals, Cooke,already a two-time round winner this year, put together an 89.75-point ride on Night Crawler, briefly taking the lead.
That lead did not last long. Kade Sonnier drew Lunatic Heaven, the 2025 Bareback Horse of the Year, and capitalized with a powerful 90.75 point ride to move to the top of the round. Wacey Schalla followed with 89.75 points, tying for second and keeping the leaderboard tight.
Jess Pope made a solid ride to protect his position in the average standings but came up short of a round check. Sam Peterson then delivered one of the most important rides of his career, scoring 88.50 points, enough to clinch the average title by half a point ahead of Pope. Peterson did so at his first National Finals Rodeo.
That left one man still to ride.
Steiner Finishes the Job
As the final guy out, Steiner knew exactly what he had to do. He answered with a big aggressive ride for 90.5 points, placing second in the round, fifth in the average, and securing the world championship.
It marked Steiner’s first gold buckle, coming one year after narrowly missing the title in 2024, when he finished second to Dean Thompson.
“Man last time I was standing in this place in the tenth round we didn't know who it was the world champ. I promised myself when I left last year that I would never leave the NFR the way that I did last year. In the 7th and 8th round I pretty much lost all hope. I started talking to the man upstairs and he held it together for me. There is so many people in my corner and really this win isn't just for me its for everybody.”
Steiner, who promised fans earlier in the week that he could not guarantee results but would “try harder than I ever have in my life,” backed up that promise when it mattered most.
A Championship Years in the Making
Steiner’s path to the title has been shaped by both lineage and persistence. His father, Sid Steiner, is a world champion steer wrestler, and his grandfather, Bobby Steiner, is a world champion bull rider. Rocker claimed the Resistol Rookie of the Year Award in bareback riding in 2022 and has qualified for the NFR every year since.
Despite carrying a significant lead entering Las Vegas, Steiner was forced to earn every dollar while in Vegas as the competition refused to relent. He picked up some ground with round wins along the way, including an 88-point ride in round 2 and 89 in round 5. These round wins kept him in the lead the entire time.
While Steiner claimed the world championship, Sam Peterson, a 22-year-old from Montana, came out as the average champion at his debut NFR. Jess Pope, known for his consistency, finished second in the average, adding to a résumé that includes three NFR average titles and the 2022 world championship.
Both Rocker and Sam Peterson broke the record of the most money won in a single year in the bareback riding. Rocker is the first bareback rider to ever cross $500,000 in one season.
The bareback riding told a familiar but hard-earned story this year reminding even the best in the game that nothing is guaranteed, even with a record-setting season. In the end, Steiner’s determination, shaped by disappointment and fueled by confidence, carried him through the final gate.
After coming up short one year ago, Rocker Steiner did not leave the National Finals Rodeo the same way again.
Kade Sonnier - Round 10 Winner
Sam Peterson - 2025 Average Champion
Rocker Steiner - 2025 World Champion Bareback Rider