Round 5 Brings Out the Best: 2025 Stock of the Year Set to Shine

Round 5 of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo has a reputation of its own. Known across the sport as TV Pen Night, it’s the evening that consistently produces some of the highest scores and most pivotal momentum swings of the entire finals. 

Tonight, the NFR is serving up a rare, unforgettable trio as the Bareback Horse of the Year, the Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year, and the Bull of the Year will all buck under the Thomas & Mack lights.

With the finals officially reaching the halfway mark after tonight, the world title races in every event are tightening. Nobody has a gold buckle secured,not even close,and Round 5 has shaped seasons, revived contenders and crushed dreams more times than history can count. The average race is now real, the pressure is building, and the stock could not be any better.

Rocker Steiner is working towards his first gold buckle. He is currently leading the world standings, but some big rides and round wins would greatly help his cause. His draw tonight sets the stage for a huge score. Rocker and Lunatic Heaven have matching energy that is predicted to light up the Thomas and Mack. 

The 2025 Bareback Horse of the Year, Lunatic Heaven ,owned by Brookman Rodeo,is one of the most electric, high-flying mares in bareback riding. Known for her explosive power, she’s the kind of draw that can single-handedly shift the gold buckle conversation.

She has already shaped some of the biggest moments of the season. Kade Berry broke the Cheyenne Frontier Days arena record this summer to win The Daddy of ’Em All with a huge 93.5 point ride. Jacek Frost’s season-defining ride in Puyallup that punched his first-ever ticket to the NFR was on Lunacti Heaven for 91.5 points. Sam Petersen used Lunatic Heaven to win the debut year of the Music City Rodeo with 88 points. 

She is only in her second year in PRCA rodeo and already one of the most feared and coveted draws in the sport.

Steiner, now has a golden opportunity in front of him. Round 5 could be a turning point in his NFR and towards that gold buckle. 

Round 5 also marks a bittersweet milestone. The 2025 Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year,the iconic grey, Virgil of C5 Rodeo,is bucking tonight in what will be the first of his final two trips before retirement.

Virgil’s résumé speaks for itself as a two-time Bareback Horse of the Year, the 2025 Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year and one of the most decorated bucking horses in history. He has countless 90-point rides and career-defining moments across two events. 

Just this summer, Zeke Thurston rode him for 92.5 points to win the Calgary Stampede, marking Thurston’s fourth Calgary title and Virgil’s third. His versatility and power across bareback and saddle bronc riding have made him one of the all-time greats.

Tonight, Brody Cress,a multiple-time NFR round and average winner gets his shot. Cress hasn’t had the finals he hoped for so far this year, but a big ride on Virgil could flip his Vegas trip instantly.

In the bull riding, the Bull of the Year, Magic Touch, owned by Phenom Genetics & Sankey Pro Rodeo will match up with Jesse Petri. This bull is known for a massive first jump, wicked timing, and the ability to end rides instantly, or deliver massive scoreboard numbers.

This year alone he had 12 outs at rodeos and 5 rides that led directly to big wins. He has proven successful in the PBR and PRCA. 

Tonight, he matches up with Jesse Petri, a three-time PBR World Finals qualifier himself. Petri is no stranger to rank bulls, and Magic Touch may be the key to breaking open his NFR.

With world titles tightening and the average race becoming real, tonight’s performances will shape the back half of the finals. The spotlight is on the animal athletes as much as the cowboys, and three of the greatest in the sport will be on display in round 5.

The NFR is built on big moments, the rides and runs that fans talk about for decades. Round 5, year after year, is where many of those moments are born. Tonight has all the makings of another one of those historic nights, about to deliver something unforgettable.