2025 Year-End Edition

COLE PATTERSON WINS THIRD STRAIGHT PRCA STEER ROPING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BY TRACY RENCK S teer roper Cole Patterson stared down pressure and delivered again. Clinging to a mere $546 lead in the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings over 2025 Resistol Rookie of the Year Riley O’Rourke, Patterson clocked an 8.5-second time to win Round 10 clocking his 9.1-second run right in front of Patterson - but Patterson didn’t flinch. “You got to sell tickets,” Patterson said. Patterson earned $34,860 at the NFSR, includ ing $5,808 for finishing sixth in the average with a

and capture his third world championship in a row and fourth overall at the Kansas Star in Mulvane, Nov. 15. “I knew I held off (Scott) Snedecor’s charge, and it all came down to me and Riley in Round 10,” said Patterson, 30, whose time was the quickest of his career at the NFSR and the first time he broke the eight-second barrier. A couple of guys slipped up in the average and I had a chance to move up to sixth. I didn’t nec essarily have to beat Riley (in Round 10), but I had to be right on his tail. “He went out there with ice in his veins and clocks (9.1 sec onds) to tie for the

112.8-second time on eight head. O’Rourke finished eighth in the average and just out of the money – it paid six spots – with an 81.0-second time on seven head. Veteran Jess Tierney won the NFSR average for the first time in his career with a 148.3-second time on 10 head. Chet Herren was second with a 129.9-second time on nine head. Tierney and Herren collected $33,684 and $27,876 average checks, respectively. Snedecor ($61,037); O’Rourke ($54,134) and Jake Clay ($50,394) were the top money winners at the NFSR.

Patterson became only the third cowboy to win three steer roping world championships in a row, joining ProRodeo Hall of Famers Guy Allen (1991-2001, 11 in a row) and Trevor Brazile (2013, 2014 and 2015). “No matter whether it is playing checkers or dice or whatever, any time you’re mentioned in the same cate gory as Trevor Brazile and Guy Allen that’s elite com pany,” Patterson said. “Steer roping has a long, coveted history and to join a class of only two other guys to do that is a pretty special feeling.” Patterson’s fantastic finish is note worthy since he only placed in three rounds at the 2025 NFSR - third in Round 4 (10.3 seconds) and Round 9 (10.6 seconds) and then he won Round 10. It also was the second year in a row that Patterson parlayed a clutch Round 10 run to win a gold buckle.

Cole Patterson celebrates with the crowd after his run in Round 10 of the 2025 NFSR. (PRCA photo by Robby Freeman)

lead in the round (with Slade Wood). I had no option but to just go for it. This feeling that I have right now is the reason that I do this and the reason that I work so hard to get here and be in moments like this be cause this feeling is worth more than any buckle and any amount of money. It feels like you conquered the world.” Patterson finished atop the world standings with $159,940 to edge O’Rourke ($150,670) and Snedecor ($136,141). The phenom O’Rourke tried to etch his name in the PRORODEO history books by becoming the first cow boy in the event’s history to win the world champion ship in his Resistol Rookie year. He applied the heat by

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JANUARY 2026