Jesse Brown Breaks Steer Wrestling Regular Season Earnings Record

Jesse Brown entered the final weekend of the 2026 regular season within striking distance of the PRCA steer wrestling regular-season earnings record. His strong performance in Sioux Falls pushed his season earnings to $236,547.98, officially breaking the record and moving him into the No. 1 spot in the world standings.

Brown opened The Governor’s Cup weekend with a 4.0-second run to finish second in the first round and collect $9,400. He followed that with a 3.6-second run in the second round, winning the round and another $12,533. Brown advanced to the Finals, where he and Rowdy Parrott tied for second with a pair of 3.9-second runs, earning $21,500 each.

The $43,433 payday moved Brown past Tyler Waguespack in the world standings. Waguespack had previously held the regular-season earnings record after winning the North Dakota Roughrider Cup in Mandan with a 3.5-second run worth $9,475, pushing his season earnings to $205,876 at the time. When it was all said and done, Waguespack totaled $210,876.33 for the regular season. Before Waguespack, the record was held by Dalton Massey, who earned $199,263 in 2024.

Brown’s 2026 season has been highlighted by a steady string of wins and major paydays across the country. He won the average at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, Sheridan WYO Rodeo, Central Wyoming Fair & PRCA Rodeo, and Chief Joseph Days, while also taking the average at Deadwood Days of ’76 and finishing second in the average at both Ogden Pioneer Days and the Tucson Rodeo.

His summer run included wins at the Mountain Valley Stampede, Moses Lake Round-Up Rodeo, Gem State Stampede, Magic Valley Stampede, Evanston Cowboy Days, and Lewiston Roundup, along with a strong showing at the Calgary Stampede, where he won the first two rounds before finishing third in the finals. That momentum carried into the final weeks of the regular season, where he won the first round at Puyallup before topping the leaderboard in the finals in 3.8 seconds for $13,900.

The now seven-time NFR qualifier has established himself as one of the toughest competitors in ProRodeo. This December, he’ll be entering the Thomas and Mack in prime position to earn the one accolade that has eluded him: his first Gold Buckle.

We wish Brown and all of this year’s NFR qualifiers the best of luck as they head to Las Vegas and compete for rodeo’s biggest prize. And with one day left in the regular season, we'll know officially who will be collecting their NFR back number this December.