The 2026 Horse Heaven Roundup Rodeo Is In The Books

It was another exciting edition of the Horse Heaven Roundup Rodeo, with some of the sport’s biggest names appearing across the leaderboard.

Kade Sonnier topped the bareback riding average with a two-head score of 174 points. He collected $3,551 and officially moved into third in the world standings. Jayco Roper and Luke Thrash tied for second after each scoring 172.5 points on two head. Jess Pope rounded out the top four with 170 points.

In steer wrestling, Justin Shaffer continued his late-season push to take home the average win in a three-head time of 11.5 seconds. Scott Guenthner is another competitor hoping to make a major standings move in the coming weeks. The No. 19-ranked cowboy finished second in Kennewick, adding nearly $4,500 to his season earnings. Three Top 15 cowboys rounded out the top five for the event – Seth Peterson finished third, Rowdy Parrott fourth, and Jesse Brown fifth.

Slade Wood and Logan Moore topped the team roping leaderboard but a mere tenth of a second. Their three-head average of 15.3 seconds earned them $4,982 each. Kolton Schmidt and Paden Bray finished second with a 15.4-second average, and Brenten Hall and Wyatt Cox finished third with a 15.9.

Resistol Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding Leader Waitley Sharon bested the field in the saddle bronc riding with 176.5 points on two head. His $3,466 payday officially moved him back into the Top 15 in the world standings. No. 2-ranked Ryder Wright finished second with 174 points, Lefty Holman finished third with 173 points, and Ben Andersen finished fourth with 172 points.

In tie-down roping, Riley Pruitt secured the average title with 25.2 seconds on three head. Bryce Derrer finished second with a 25.7-second average time as he looks to secure his first NFR qualification. Michael Otero rounded out the top three with an average time of 26.1 seconds.

Michelle Alley finished atop the barrel racing leaderboard with a two-head time of 34.03 seconds. New WPRA Standard Pattern Record Holder Kathy Grimes finished second in the average in 34.18 seconds, while Emily Beisel finished third with a 34.43.

Josie Conner won the breakaway roping average with a two-head time of 4.5 seconds, earning her $4,840. Haiden Thompson finished second with a 5.0-second average, Hali Williams finished third with a 5.1, and Suzanne Williams and Sloan Anderson tied for fourth with a pair of 5.3-second averages.

Bull riding saw a tie at the top of the leaderboard to round out the rodeo. Cooper James and Luke Mackey both scored 176.5 points on two head to earn $3,037 each. Jackson Ward finished third with 173 points, while Resistol Rookie Hayden Welsh finished fourth with 172 points.

As we head into the final month of the 2026 rodeo season, Rodeo Roundtable will continue to cover the latest standings shifts and stories from the rodeo road – stay tuned!