Schalla, Steiner and Thompson to Return to Competition in Hermiston, Oregon

2026 has been a rough year for bareback riders. Many of the best PRCA guys in the world have had a big wrench thrown in their plans. All three of them were after another trip to the NFR and a gold buckle. In fact, two of these talented guys already have at least one World Title. Although 2026 had its fair share of challenges, they are entered up and fixing to make their comeback appearance at the Farm City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston, Oregon. 

Wacey Schalla is the 20-year-old Oklahoma cowboy who took professional rodeo by storm a couple of years ago. In 2024, he qualified for his first NFR in bull riding. Then in 2025, he was a real all-around threat, qualifying in bull riding and bareback riding. He made history during the 2025 NFR by surpassing $1 million in lifetime earnings and becoming the youngest PRCA cowboy to do so. 

In 2026, he started the year very strongly and was even leading the world in bareback riding for some time. He won over $100,000 and was battling for that top spot when an injury in bull riding put a pause on his season. 

Wacey was at the incredible Music City Rodeo in Nashville, Tennessee, when the wreck happened. He was carried out of the arena after his bull ride, where he got hung up on the dismount. He suffered a major femur fracture. 

Doctors expected him to be on the sidelines for about 3 months. The injury happened at the end of May, and now at the middle of August, he is entered up in Hermiston. His social media has been full of videos of him working out, riding the spur board, and getting his strength back. Earlier in the summer, September 1st had been the goal, but he is entered this next week. Fans will just have to wait and see if Schalla gets on in Utah or not.  

Right now, Wacey sits in 13th place in the PRCA World Standings in the bareback riding category, even after missing basically the entire summer run. He has almost $110,000 and still has a good chance at his 3rd consecutive year in Vegas. 

Rocker Steiner had big goals for 2026 after winning his first gold buckle in 2025. The World Champion bareback rider was having an outstanding year and was back at the top of the standings again this year. After his big RODEOHOUSTON win, Steiner had made it clear that a second consecutive gold buckle was the goal and very much attainable. 

Steiner hit the rodeo scene early, and when he got into the professional ranks, no one dared to bet against him. He comes from a rodeo family that has made history across many events. Rocker has made his own name, his own career, and his own legacy on the back of a bucking horse. 

The 22-year-old Texas man is a four-time NFR qualifier and wants to make it five this year. However, Steiner also had a big injury that changed his season.

Rocker was on his high horse, literally, after winning $100,000 at the American Rodeo. He had also just won RODEOHOUSTON for the second consecutive year and was number 1 in the world. All roads led to another gold buckle. But then, it was announced that he would undergo neck surgery and be sidelined for most of the remaining season.

This was a huge blow for Rocker; however, he is back and still has the same goal in mind. The surgery took place on June 2nd, and now, in mid-August, Rocker has also entered Hermiston, Oregon. His social media has also been full of recovery videos. Steiner has been in the gym and on the spur board and is feeling strong once again. 

Rocker Steiner is still the number 10 man in the PRCA World Standings, even after missing this huge portion of the season. He has won over $122,000 this year. If he can get back to the arena, and make it back to the NFR, position does not necessarily matter. We have seen Rocker's huge performances, and even inside of the Thomas and Mack. With NFR rounds paying nearly $40,000 a night, if Steiner gets to climb into the yellow chutes in 2026, he will be a gold buckle contender. 

The best comeback of the year has to go to the 2024 World Champion bareback rider Dean Thompson. Thompson has a bit of a different story than Schalla and Steiner. This is a story of incredible strength, resilience, passion, support, and determination. 

Thompson was also having a great winter in 2026. He was moving up in the standings, and looking to get into the top 15 to make his third consecutive NFR. The Utah young and talented cowboy had only good things in his future, until one hang up changed his life forever. 

He was at the Cave Creek, Arizona rodeo and had a bit of a hang-up on the dismount. He went in for what he thought would just be a quick check-up at the hospital afterwards, just in case. The doctors decided to do a few routine scans just to check him out and be certain he was okay after the wreck. What they did not ever expect was to find an unusual mass in Dean's neck. That mass would be diagnosed as Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Treatment began immediately for the 24-year-old cowboy. If they had not taken that trip to the ER, Mr. Dean might have a very different story today. However, recently, the strong-willed, funny, and talented young man was declared cancer-free. He finished up his chemo treatments a few weeks earlier and has been working on his strength ever since. 

Dean, similar to Wacey and Rocker, is planning a comeback in Hermiston, Utah this week. This is incredible news and Thompson's fans are very excited to see him back in the arena. Although another gold buckle is likely in Dean's future goals, his perspective on life has likely taken a very huge turn. Every horse he gets on from here on out will have a new kind of positivity and thankfulness with it. This is a perspective that we can all learn from. 

Although it is unlikely that Dean could win enough to qualify for the 2026 NFR, he is still in the top 50 in the world from his previous earnings before the diagnosis. Staying in the top 50 might be his goal, because that would help him get into those bigger limited rodeos for the 2027 season. Regardless of his performance or his goals to come, we are all very glad to know that Dean is cancer free and getting back to his lively self. 

Although each of these cowboys are entered in Hermiston, they could still turn out. This is not an unusual occurrence for cowboys and cowgirls. Rodeo entries close weeks, and sometimes even up to a month before the actual rodeo takes place. Because of this timeline, many injured cowboys will enter rodeos before they are cleared just in case they are able to go ahead and go. 

Hermiston is one of those big rodeos that no one wants to miss if they can help it. That is likely the reason why all three of them entered it, even though their comeback timeline was still in the air. If Wacey, Rocker, and Dean are not quite ready, they can turn out and still get on later when they are 100% healed up, strong, and ready. 

Stay tuned at Rodeo Roundtable for more injury updates, results, and all things rodeo!