PRCA steer wrestler Justin Shaffer delivered one of his strongest performances of the season at the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls. He won the steer wrestling with consistent, fast times and moved to No. 3 in the PRCA world standings.
Shaffer started with a 3.9-second run in Round 1, then put together the fastest time of the rodeo, a 3.0, to win Round 2. He held the lead in the average and closed out the title in the finals with a 3.7-second run. The win pushed his season earnings to just over $155,000, moving him up six spots in the standings after Sioux Falls.
The Hallsville, Texas, cowboy is coming off a breakout year in 2025, when he made his NFR debut and placed in five rounds in Las Vegas. He finished last season 13th in the world with $177,469. This year, he opened with a win at the Texas Circuit Finals and has built momentum throughout the year since. In 2026, he has a real chance at a gold buckle, sitting only about $40,000 behind Will Lummus with 10 rounds at the NFR that pay nearly that much every night.
The steer wrestling race remains tight through the entire top 15 headed to Las Vegas. Lummus leads the pack with just under $200,000, while Jesse Brown is second with $162,000.
One of the best stories heading into this year’s NFR is the 15th man, Gavin Soileau. The 26-year-old from Bunkie, La., is a former collegiate national champion in steer wrestling and has put together a standout season at the professional level. This year, he won several big rodeos, including the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, the North Dakota Roughrider Cup, and the Central Wyoming Fair in Casper. He also tied for the win at the Greeley Stampede and added another victory at Red Lodge, Mont. Now, he’ll bring that momentum with him to his first NFR appearance this December.
Chance Howard is another NFR rookie. The Sallisaw, Okla., native’s big win came when he walked away as champion of the Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City. That victory helped punch his ticket to his first NFR.
Top 15 Steer Wrestling Standings (2025)
- Will Lummus — $195,115.71
- Jesse Brown — $162,156.51
- Justin Shaffer — $155,773.24
- Rowdy Parrott — $150,876.62
- Tucker Allen — $150,867.48
- J.D. Struxness — $138,672.06
- Stetson Jorgensen — $136,028.71
- Tyler Waguespack — $135,824.63
- Dakota Eldridge — $124,916.06
- Kyle Irwin — $113,220.46
- Scott Guenthner — $112,350.67
- Bridger Anderson — $109,327.58
- Chance Howard — $108,298.10
- Ty Erickson — $105,960.29
- Gavin Soileau — $105,898.52