Bradlee Miller Inches Out Steiner and Schalla In Bareback World Standings

Rodeo athletes are well into the 2026 season, and week after week, the world standings look different. Bareback riding world champion Rocker Steiner was holding strong at the top of the bareback leaderboard, but Bradlee Miller has once again earned his way back to the No. 1 spot.

Miller Back On Top

Miller is on a roll heading into the summer months, with $103,665 earned this season he now sits $2,000 ahead of Steiner and $5,000 ahead of No. 3, Wacey Schalla. Miller has earned some massive paychecks in the last few weeks that have propelled him to the top of the world standings, and it doesn’t look like he is slowing down any time soon.

This time last year, Miller was sidelined with an injury, and now he is back with a vengeance to earn his first world title after qualifying twice for the National Finals Rodeo in his four-year-long career in the PRCA.

Riding his way to the top was no easy feat for the cowboy as multiple other bareback riders are inching towards the $100,000 mark. His big wins at Rodeo Austin ($12,000 earned) and Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo ($2,106 earned) are what gave him the boost to inch out Steiner. But ultimately, his $30,000 check from his second-place finish at RodeoHouston provided the boost he needed.

Miller, Steiner, and Schalla Sit Neck and Neck

Miller, Steiner and Schalla are holding the top three spots with a solid outlook heading into the summer. While these three are merely $5,000 apart, the No. 4 spot ( held by Jacob Lees) is $30,000 behind Schalla. With a gap that huge, it might seem as though the top three cowboys in the sport are sitting pretty, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The upcoming summer months hold incredible amounts of money available.

Miller finished at No. 9 in the standings last year. His injury took him out for the beginning of the summer, and he just didn't have enough time to catch up to the top. But, with things looking as good as they are, he has a real shot at holding down the No. 1 spot.

While Miller sits with an average score of 79.5 (compared to Steiner with an 86.5 and Schalla with an 86.7) he is nailing some of his most difficult rides. The best score he’s seen so far this season is an 89.5-point ride on the back of No Whiskey from Beutler & Son Rodeo. It was that ride that secured him his place at Rodeo Austin.

Heading into the summer, Miller will have his work cut out for him if he wants to hold on to the No. 1 spot, especially looking at his competitors. But, with less than six months to go, time will tell which of these three athletes has what it takes to take home the world title come December.