The Best Of The Best Shine At The 2026 NFR Open

The NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo wrapped up over the weekend, where the top rodeo athletes from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico competed for PRCA National Circuit championships and a share of nearly $700,000 in prize money.

Cooper Cooke claimed the bareback riding title with an 87.5-point ride aboard Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics' Mustard in the finals, adding $13,000 to his season earnings. The Idaho cowboy has had an extremely lucrative summer run, winning over $57,000 since the beginning of June. Luke Thrash finished second with an 86 to earn $10,000, while Bradlee Miller rounded out the top three with an 85.5 point ride. Miller’s $7,000 payday helps further secure his spot atop the world standings.

Kade Bruno added his third career NFR Open saddle bronc riding title to his resume with 88.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics' Atomic Blonde. Ross Griffin finished just a half-point behind with 88 points, followed by a three-way tie between Zachary Dallas, Lefty Holman, and Rusty Wright with 86.5 points.

Bull riding saw just two cowboys cover their bulls in the finals. Gavin Knutson rose to the top of the leaderboard with an 87-point ride on Bailey Pro Rodeo's Duel Citizen to claim the championship and $13,000; Ernie Courson Jr’s 69-point ride earned him $10,000. A tie-breaker was used to determine payout for the remaining finalists, with Ramon Fiorini de Souza collecting $7,000 and Hayden Welsh collecting $3,500.

The timed events delivered plenty of excitement as well. Caitlyn White claimed the barrel racing title with a 17.29-second run, narrowly defeating Katelyn Scott's 17.33-second run. Megan McLeod-Sprague, Lisa Lockhart, and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi completed a stacked top five. Taylor Munsell and Tiffany Schieck split the breakaway roping win with a pair of 1.9-second runs, each collecting $11,500. Taylor Engesser finished third with a 2.5, and Jenna Lee Adams rounded out the top four with a 2.8.

Traver Johnson won the steer wrestling with a 3.7-second run, narrowly edging Ty Erickson's 3.8 and Grant Peterson's 3.9. Jake Smith and Nicky Northcott topped the team roping leaderboard with a 4.3-second run, followed by Garrett Tonozzi and Trey Yates’ 4.6 and Jhett Trenary and L.J. Yeahquo’s 4.7.

No. 3-ranked Haven Meged secured the tie-down roping championship with an 8.3-second run. One of the season's biggest comeback stories, however, belongs to Shad Mayfield. After missing six months of competition because of injury, he’s quickly gaining momentum in the world standings. His 8.9-second run earned him second place and $10,000, keeping his hopes of qualifying for the 2026 NFR very much alive.

The NFR Open presented a much-needed payday for many competitors, and the momentum gained in Colorado Springs could prove invaluable as the race to qualify for the 2026 NFR intensifies.