Bradlee Miller Wins Rodeo Of The Ozarks, Moves To Top Of World Standings

With the race to the 2026 NFR getting more interesting by the day, the Rodeo of the Ozarks has become another pivotal stop on the summer schedule. The event paid out over $262,000 and featured several standout performances, including one that reshuffled the top of the bareback riding world standings.

Bradlee Miller topped the bareback riding leaderboard with 88 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo's Pearl Harbor. Not only did he collect $7,015, but he officially moved into the top spot in the world standings. The move comes after former leader Rocker Steiner was sidelined by neck surgery earlier this month and is expected to miss approximately three months of competition.

Sage Newman continues his summer run success, claiming the saddle bronc riding title with 87 points aboard Cervi Championship Rodeo's Burial Ground. Jake Clark finished second with 83.5 points, while Wyatt Casper rounded out the top three with an 83-point ride. Bull riding delivered plenty of excitement as Tristan Mize topped the leaderboard with an 88-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo's Level Up. TJ Gray finished second with 86 points, while Josh Frost placed third with 85.5.

On the timed event side of the arena, Kyle Irwin and Marc Joiner shared the steer wrestling title after each stopped the clock in 4.6 seconds. The team roping championship went to Brenten Hall and Wyatt Cox, who posted a 4.5-second time, edging Luke Brown and Hunter Koch’s 4.8-second run.

Cole Clemons rose to the top of the tie-down roping leaderboard after turning in a 9.0-second run. Clemons currently sits ninth in the world standings, and wins like this will help him secure a second NFR qualification.

Sage Dunlap delivered a 2.3-second run in breakaway roping to earn $4,695. Avery Landry followed with a 2.7-second run, while Cheyanne McCartney finished third with a 2.8. Hannah Giger and Josey Murphy rounded out the top five with runs of 2.9 and 3.0 seconds, respectively.

In barrel racing, Andrea Busby turned in the fastest run of the weekend, clocking a 15.83-second run to secure the championship and a $5,655 payday. Kristin Hanchey finished just eight-hundredths of a second back, while Alona James claimed third.

As we turn the calendar to Cowboy Christmas, contestants will chase checks at 38 rodeos across the country within the course of one week. Thanks to strong performances in Arkansas, several competitors head into the busiest week of the season with added momentum – and for Bradlee Miller, the coveted top spot in the bareback riding world standings.