Disco Party Does it Again, Named 2026 Bareback Horse of the Year

After helping Rocker Steiner secure his World Championship in 2025, the Calgary Stampede mare followed it up with four 90 plus point rides in 2026 and another major honor of her own.

Disco Party scored big again. 

The Calgary Stampede mare has added another impressive accomplishment to her résumé, earning the 2026 Pendleton Whisky Let ’Er Buck Bareback Horse of the Year award after a season that saw some of the biggest names in bareback riding find success on her back. Just a few weeks ago, the amazing mare was named Canadian Bareback Horse of the Year as well.

Disco Party was already a familiar name heading into 2026. She had helped Rocker Steiner secure his PRCA Bareback Riding World Championship at the 2025 Wrangler NFR, where the two matched up for a 92 point ride in Round 10. That performance put her right in the middle of one of the biggest moments of Steiner’s career, but the mare had plenty more to give as well.

Now 10 years old, Disco Party spent another season making her mark at some of the biggest rodeos in the country. The Calgary Stampede rodeo company celebrated the accomplishment by recognizing just how special her year has been.

“She’s not just having a good year, she’s having a career year,” the Calgary Stampede shared.

Looking at the rides and huge wins she has been part of, it is easy to understand why.

Disco Party’s 2026 season has been filled with big scores, but what makes her accomplishments stand out is the number of different cowboys who have been able to find success on her.

Tilden Hooper drew the mare in Fort Worth and turned in a huge 92 point ride. Wacey Schalla followed with a 91 point performance in San Antonio aboard Disco Party. 

Schalla commented on Calgary Stampede's social media posts saying, "Best there is!" It takes the best to win these type of honors, and the cowboys agree that Disco Party is among the greats.

Then came another opportunity for Steiner. After that big ride at the 2025 NFR, Steiner and Disco Party reunited at RODEOHOUSTON. The two put together another outstanding performance, marking 90.5 points to win the coveted RODEOHOUSTON title once again. Something about Steiner and Disco Party just go together perfectly. 

Keenan Hayes was the next to add his name to the list, marking 91 points on Disco Party in Puyallup.

By the end of the season, Disco Party had carried four different cowboys to scores of at least 90 points. Each rider brought his own style to the matchup, as well and the mare continued to give them the opportunity to put together some of the highest scoring rides of the season.

For a bareback horse, producing that kind of success with multiple cowboys throughout the year is a pretty impressive accomplishment. Disco Party has continued to show why she is such a valuable part of the Calgary Stampede’s bucking stock program. Her ability to deliver big performances at major rodeos has made her a familiar name among the cowboys who compete at the highest level.

Disco Party earned the top spot in the 2026 Bareback Horse of the Year voting ahead of two other outstanding horses. Summit Pro Rodeo’s F12 Game Trail finished second, while Pickett Pro Rodeo’s 2708 Boot Barn’s Night Crawler rounded out the top three. The award adds to a résumé that has grown considerably over the last two seasons.

There is also plenty of work behind a horse like Disco Party. From the people who care for her to the stock contractors who haul her across the country, producing a season like this takes a great deal of effort. The Calgary Stampede acknowledged that work in its celebration of the mare, recognizing the cowboys who have drawn her and the people who have helped make the season possible.

Disco Party has certainly given them plenty to celebrate.

While the cowboys are the ones who collect the checks and climb the world standings, the horses underneath them deserve plenty of recognition for the part they play in those performances as well. At the end of the day, a World Champion can only win a gold buckle if he has horsepower underneath him.

Disco Party has been right there for some of the biggest rides of the last two seasons.

The 2026 regular season may be over, but Disco Party’s year is not finished.

The Calgary Stampede made that clear in its celebration of the mare, writing, “And the best part? She’s not done yet.”

With the Wrangler NFR ahead, Disco Party will have another opportunity to be underneath a cowboy chasing a gold buckle and add another big ride to an already impressive year.

She has already helped Steiner accomplish that goal once, and her performances throughout 2026 have shown she is more than capable of producing another memorable ride when the pressure is on. Inside the energy of the Thomas and Mack, we are sure to see some huge moments. 

She is headed to the NFR, where there is one more chance for Disco Party to do what she has done all year, give a great cowboy a chance to make a big ride.