2025 Year-End Edition

ROCKER STEINER CAPTURES FIRST PRCA BAREBACK RIDING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP By Zach Alvira R ocker Steiner could hardly hold back the tears inside the arena of the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. he saw his lead dwindle away at the NFR. Entering the final night, Jess Pope was on his heels with back-to-back wins in Round 7 and 8, as well as an other trip to the pay window in Round 9.

The 21-year-old Weatherford, Texas, cowboy knew all he had to do was make it to the pay window in Round 10 to capture the world championship, something that had eluded him last season despite entering Las Vegas No. 1 in the world. It was a rough couple of rounds leading up to Round 10 for the human highlight reel. But he stepped up when he needed to the most with a 90.5-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Disco Party to claim the world championship. “There are no words to describe how one feels after so many years of working for it, dreaming about it, losing it, coming back again, losing it two more times, and finally coming back and sealing the deal and with my whole fam ily here,” Steiner said. “Getting to see my granddad and my grandmother hugging in the stands above the chutes, it’s everything.” Steiner was a man on a mission all season long. He set the new record for most regular season earnings. His lead in the chase for the world title was $81,646. But

Steiner felt the pressure but didn’t waver. He finished the 2025 season with a PRCA single-season bareback riding record of $507,533. But most importantly, the gold buckle. He joins his grandfather, Bobby Steiner (bull riding, 1973), and his father, Sid Steiner (steer wrestling, 2002), as PRCA World Champions and made history in the pro cess. The Steiners are the first family with three genera tions of PRCA World Championships. “I think after my dad won the world, they thought the Steiner rodeo legacy was over,” Rocker said. “Somewhere along the line, the rodeo world called us back, and then I was the one to do it. We get to leave Las Vegas as three world champions. So this is everything I’ve ever wanted.” Steiner finished fifth in the average at the NFR. Sam Petersen’s 88.5-point ride on Picket Pro Rodeo’s Boot Barn’s Night Fight in Round 10 helped him claim the average title.

Rocker Steiner celebrates in Round 10 of the 2025 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA photo by Mallory Beinborn)

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