The top of the PRCA Bareback Standings is headlined by three young superstars, 2023 Rookie of the Year and World Champion Keenan Hayes is leads the way, but he is being chased by Rocker Steiner and Dean Thompson.
The final weeks of the season still present big opportunities for athletes across the PRCA.
No. 1. Keenan Hayes, $203,724
Hayes has put together another great season after winning the World Title on 2023. He holds the No. 1 spot by around $7,000 over Rocker Steiner. Hayes earned over $6,000 in Puyallup thanks to three rides of 84 points or more. He struggled in Pendleton, failing to advance after an 82-point ride, but he remains in the No. 1 spot and is the only bareback rider over $200,000 on the year.
No. 2 Rocker Steiner, $196,642
Steiner has been chasing down Hayes for the majority of the Summer Run and inched closer thanks to a second-place finish at the Lion’s Dixie Roundup (Utah) where he was 86 points. In Puyallup, Steiner earned just $2,000 but salvaged the second weekend of September with a second-place finish at the Tri-State Rodeo and a win at the Jim Baier Chute Out where he was 91.5 points.
No. 3 Dean Thompson, $169,447
Thompson earned one check in Pendleton after a third-place finish in the First Round with 85 points. The ride earned Thompson over $3,000. In Puyallup, Thompson earned just under $5,000 after placing in two rounds.
No. 4 R.C. Landingham, $166,815
The four-time NRR qualifier earned over $6,500 in Pendleton thanks to a second-place finish in the opening round and a fifth-place finish in the average. Landingham had a strong showing the week prior in Puyallup where he was fourth in the average after four rides of 84.5 points or more. In total, he won over $7,000 in Puyallup.
No. 5 Leighton Berry, $156,186
Berry’s last paycheck came at the Walla Walla Frontier Days (Washington), where he was seconds after an 85.5-point ride that earned him $4,378. This was his fourth check of $3,700 in the last two weeks. He is in position for a third straight and fourth career NFR.
No. 6 Weston Timberman, $135,840
The No. 1 rookie had a great showing in Pendleton, where he got possibly the biggest win of his young career. Timberman was 84.5 points in the Opening Round and 89 points in the Finals. His 173.5 on two aggregate won him the rodeo and he took home just under $10,000.
No. 7 Coop Cooke, $135,330
Cooke has already secured a career-best season and is on his way to his first NFR. Cooke hasn’t cashed a check since the end of August when he was 86.5 points and earned $2,300.
No. 8 Cole Franks, $133,014
Franks has had a pretty quiet September thus far. His biggest payday of the month came in Puyallup where he was 87 points in the Second Round to win $1,700. Franks also placed fifth at the New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo with an 85.5-point ride to make $1,100.
No. 9 Garrett Shadbolt, $129,864
Shadbolt has been a mainstay in the Top 10 this season and performances like he had in Puyallup are why. Shadbolt won $9,750 in Washington after a 91-point ride in the Finals which was good for second-place. His total earnings in Puyallup where over $11,000.
No. 10 Taylor Broussard, $126,138
Broussard earned a nice payday in Utah, taking home the title at the Lion’s Dixie Roundup with an 87-point ride on Outlaw. The ride earned Broussard over $4,500, pushing him into the top 10.
No. 11 Jess Pope, $124,749
The three-time NFR Average Champion has been one of the biggest movers over the last month after a great stretch of riding from the former World Champion. Pope made the big move in Puyallup where he took home the win after a career-high 92.5-point ride on Disco Party. Pope earned over $16,000 at the rodeo.
No. 12 Cole Reiner, $123,323
Reiner had a great showing in Pendleton where he placed second in the Average. Reiner opened the rodeo with a third-place finish in the Opening Round after an 85-point ride. In the Finals, he was second with an 88-point ride to bring his total on two to 173. Reiner took home over $9,000 at the rodeo. Reiner has finished seventh in the World three straight years.
No. 13 Tanner Aus, $122,777
The eight-time NFR qualifier has only cashed one check in September and it came over the first week of the month. He was 87 points at the Jim Baier Chute Out Rodeo (Iowa) to finish second and earn over $2,500.
No. 14 Jacob Lees, $121,465
Lees has two checks over $1,000 this month, the first of which came at the Meagher County Labor Day Rodeo (Montana) where he was fourth with an 86-point ride to make just over $1,500. The second check over $1,000 came in Puyallup where he earned $1,500. He used a clutch performance at the Governor’s Cup when on the bubble last yaer to power him to his first NFR.
No. 15 Richmond Champion, $118,193
Champion was third at the Othello PRCA Rodeo (Utah) over the weekend to earn $1,500 and take over the No. 15 spot. He was also 86.5 points at the New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo to place fourth and earn another $2,000.
No. 16 Orin Larsen, $116,439
Larsen’s biggest payday of the month came at the Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo where he got the win thanks to a 90-point ride to earn $3,900.
No. 17 Bradlee Miller, $112,855
Miller placed second at the Lion’s Dixie Roundup over the weekend with an 86-point ride to earn just over $3,000.
No. 18 Waylon Bourgeois, $104,982
Bourgeois made a nice jump in the standings after a good showing in Pendleton. He was 83.5 points in the opening round and 88 points in the Finals to help him place second in the Average. The two rides and average check earned him over $4,000.
No. 19 Nick Pelke, $101,430
Pelke’s last substantial payday came at the New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo where he was 87 points to place third and win over $3,100.
No. 20 Tilden Hooper, $94,055
Hooper hasn’t been able to hit the road as hard as he has in the past, but the stops he does make he is taking advantage of. Hooper was second in the average in Puyallup after an 85.5 and an 85-point ride.
