Skip to main content
Rodeo Daily

9 More Contestants Earned Their Spot for the 2026 Cheyenne Frontier Days

The Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo in Window Rock, Arizona, concluded on May 31, giving nine athletes their opportunity to compete at the 2026 Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Emery Mask|
Nathan Meyer Photography

This year, the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo presented its event winners with a prestigious opportunity. After Cheyenne Frontier Days announced that the 2026 rodeo format would be changing, they introduced qualifier rodeos. Each event winner from one of the nine qualifying rodeos receives their chance to compete at Frontier Park alongside the top athletes in the world.

Bareback Riding

In the barback riding, Jayco Roper matched up with The Cervi Brothers' Womanizer for 88 points. His ride on the multiple-time NFR-selected bucking horse won Roper $4,160, helping his efforts towards a third National Finals Rodeo qualification.

Steer Wrestling

Steer wrestler Cimarron Thompson threw his steer at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena in 4.2 seconds to earn $2,157 towards his circuit standings and a chance to compete for the 2026 CFD title.

Team Roping

There was a tie at the top of the leaderboard in the team roping between James Arviso and Chris Young, and Wawa Ben Jr. and Bran Ben Ben. Both teams stopped the clock in 5.4 seconds to win $3,422 each.

Saddle Bronc Riding

In 2024, Talon Elshere placed second at the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo. He returned in 2026 to claim the number one spot on Cervi Championship Rodeo's R. Watson's Ed Bishop with 86.5 points and added $3,807 to his career earnings.

Breakaway Roping

As always, the ladies of the breakaway roping were nothing short of spectacular with fast runs and a tight leaderboard. But it was Nicole Baggarley and her mare Jojo who won $4,249 and claimed their spot at the Daddy of 'Em All with a lightning fast run of 2.0 seconds.

Tie-Down Roping

Trey Stembridge bested the rest of the tie-down roping field by eight-tenths of a second to win the rodeo. Stembridge's 8.0-second run won him $3,396 and the opportunity to rope out of the iconic CFD boxes.

Barrel Racing

The barrel racing was an exciting event to watch, with Mackenzie McCuistion running the fastest time of the weekend. McCuistion's 15.68-second run won her $3,377 and a chance to run at one of the largest rodeos in her home circuit.

Bull Riding

Casa Grande, Arizona native Brad Moreno teamed up with Empire Rodeo's Diamondback for 88 points to win $4,684 and a qualification to his first Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Steer Roping

Taylor Santos took home the win in the steer roping after three rounds of competition. With a time of 38.4 seconds on three head, Santos won $1,567 and another trip to Cheyenne.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Emery Mask
EMERY MASK

Emery Mask is from Amarillo, Texas, where she was raised in a rodeo family. She competed throughout her youth and later advanced to collegiate rodeo. Emery represented South Plains College twice at the College National Finals Rodeo before continuing her education and rodeo career at Tarleton State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications. Emery is now an active member of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, with a Mountain States Circuit Finals qualification to her name. She also runs her own media business, Little Power Proof Creatives, and spends her free time pursuing a variety of creative hobbies. Whether she’s in the arena or behind the lens, Emery is passionate about celebrating the Western lifestyle through both competition and storytelling.

Home/News