With the regular season winding down, Mandan delivered important paydays for NFR contenders and bubble competitors.
With just days remaining in the 2026 regular season, the North Dakota Roughrider Cup in Mandan, ND, delivered significant paydays, giving several competitors a valuable boost in the world standings.
In bareback riding, Tim O'Connell topped the leaderboard with a 90-point ride on J Bar J's Straight Stick to collect $18,119. No. 3-ranked Jess Pope added nearly $14,000 to his season earnings after an 88.5-point ride for second place. Cole Reiner rounded out the top three with 88 points.
Tyler Waguespack won the steer wrestling in Mandan with a 3.5-second run. The $9,475 payday pushed him past $200,000 in season earnings as he looks to make history in December with a potential sixth World Title. Chance Howard, Marc Joiner, and Eli Lord tied for second with 3.8-second runs, while Garrett Oates finished fifth with a 3.9.
Dustin Egusquiza and JC Flake took home the team roping title with the only sub-four second run of the rodeo – they stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds to collect $9,856 each. Clay Smith and Coleby Payne, along with Nelson Wyatt and Jonathan Torres, finished second with a pair of 4.0-second runs. Derrick Begay and Colter Todd are making a major late-season push, having collected over $6,500 after their 4.1-second run.
Tayla Moeykens won the barrel racing in Mandan with a 17.00-second run, earning $12,780. Summer Kosel and Lisa Lockhart tied for second with a pair of 17.12-second runs. Lockhart has all but secured her record 20th consecutive NFR qualification, with her strong showing over the weekend moving her to No. 10 in the world standings.
Cheyanne McCartney continues to hold her lead in the breakaway roping world standings after collecting the breakaway title for the weekend with a 1.8-second run. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged and Josie Goodrich tied for second with a pair of 1.9-second runs, while reigning World Champion Taylor Munsell finished third with a 2.0.
Brody Wells has been steadily moving up the saddle bronc riding world standings. The No. 6-ranked cowboy finished atop the leaderboard in Mandan with a 92-point ride on J Bar J's Shady Jacket, earning $18,020. Gus Gaillard’s 90-point ride earned him second place and $13,815 as he looks to secure his first NFR qualification. Ben Andersen and Shorty Garrett tied for third with a pair of 89.5-point rides.
In tie-down roping, Cory Solomon laid down a 7.1-second run to collect the event title and nearly $10,000, officially moving him into the Top 15. Dylan Hancock finished second with a 7.3, Brodey Clemons finished third with a 7.4, and Hunter Herrin fourth with a 7.7.
John Crimber finished out the weekend with a winning 88.5-point bull ride on Dakota Rodeo's Astro Outlaw to collect $18,048. Thayne Elshere, Josh Frost, and Stetson Wright tied for second with a set of 87.5-point rides, while Cullen Telfer finished fourth with an 86.5.
We're officially in the single digits of the final stretch of the 2026 season! Stay tuned as we bring you the remaining standings and, ultimately, the NFR roster in just nine short days.
