California Circuit Finals Close the Year in Red Bluff

The California Circuit Finals came to a close on New Year’s Eve in Red Bluff, California, delivering big, decisive performances that locked in qualifications for the 2026 NFR Open. With average titles and year-end championships both earning their qualification, the three-round finals carried has some added weight, and as the calendar turned to a new year.

Five-time NFR qualifier R.C. Landingham put together a dominant showing, sweeping the bareback riding to claim both the average and year-end titles. Landingham tied for the Round 1 win alongside Clayton Biglow with 80.5 points, then followed with back-to-back 85-point rides to win Rounds 2 and 3 outright himself. 

Landingham finished the average with 250.5 points on three head and won more than $10,000 at the circuit finals. With Landingham securing both titles, Jacek Frost, who is fresh off his first NFR appearance, will also advance to the 2026 NFR Open after finishing second in the season standings.

Grant Peterson entered the finals as the season leader and held on through the three rounds to earn the year-end championship. Casey Harmon claimed the average title. Harmon won Round 1 with a 5.3-second run, tied for the Round 2 win alongside James Banister at 4.7 seconds, and finished fourth in Round 3.

Harmon’s consistency earned him the average at 16.1 seconds on three head. Peterson added a Round 3 win with a 4.8-second run to secure the year-end. 

Blake Hirdes and Jake Edwards dominated in the team roping, winning both the average and year-end titles. The duo opened with a 5.3-second Round 1 win, tied for second in Round 2 at 5.4 seconds, and finished third in Round 3.

Their total of 17.0 seconds on three head topped the average. Cutter Machado and Dalton Pearce finished second in the year-end standings and so they will also compete at the 2026 NFR Open.

5 time NFR qualifier Lefty Holman continued a strong season by claiming both the average and year-end titles. Holman finished second in Round 2 before winning Round 3 with 86.5 points, sealing the average at 246.5 points on three. 

Holman entered the finals with a $10,000 lead in the standings and maintained it to finish as the year-end champion. Reed Neely unofficially finished second in the standings and will be at the NFR Open this year. 

The tie-down roping came down to the final round, with Brushton Minton and Tom Crouse separated by just $300 entering the finals. Crouse won Round 1 with an 8.8-second run, while Minton answered with wins in Rounds 2 and 3 at 7.8 and 7.9 seconds.

Minton topped the average at 26.4 seconds on three head, while Crouse finished second in both the average and year-end standings. Crouse, coming off his first NFR appearance, and Brushton his second. The two of them will represent the California circuit in Colorado Springs this year. 

Hayle Gibson-Stillwell claimed the year-end championship right after her first WNFR appearance as well. She won Round 1 with a 13.51-second run. Ann McGilchrist came in tying for third in Round 2 before winning Round 3 in 13.32 seconds to secure the average.

McGilchrist finished with a 40.91-second total on three runs, earning the average title and climbing to second in the year-end standings. Both will compete at the 2026 NFR Open.

Aaron Williams dominated the bull riding, winning Rounds 1 and 2 with scores of 86 and 83 points, finishing second in Round 3, and claiming the average and year-end titles. He earned $14,098 at the circuit finals alone. 

Kyle Eaton won Round 3 with an 85-point ride, while Colby Demo finished second in the year-end standings by just $200 and will join Williams at the NFR Open.

With the California Circuit Finals now complete, Red Bluff closed out the year by sending a strong group of  athletes forward to the 2026 NFR Open. Every single year the circuit finals remain a crucial launching point as a new rodeo season begins.