Bubble Watch: Can Kashton Ford Crack the Top 15? The Summer Rodeo Run Begins

Things are heating up in the 2026 rodeo season and with summer rodeos ahead, athletes will have ample opportunity to add some cash to their season earnings. Bareback rider Kashton Ford is gunning to secure his first National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualification just his second year in the PRCA.

Ford Works To Break Out of the Bubble

At No. 17 in the world standings, the cowboy is sitting just $6,000 outside of the top 15. As the season goes, that gap will only get harder to close, so now is the time for Ford to pick things up and take home some wins.

Ford set himself up for success early in the season, and has only been building momentum since then. He had an amazing run at the Indian National Finals Rodeo and took home the World Title for the first time in his career.

After finishing at No. 29 last year, Ford came in with something to prove ahead of this season. He’s earned $44,133 so far this year and is only working to add to that this summer. His highest score of the season came just last weekend (June 7th) at the Dutton Ranch Darby Xtreme Bareback.

The cowboy secured second place at the rodeo thanks to his 89.5-point ride on Boot Barn's Nigh from Pickett Pro Rodeo Co. This ride set a new standard for the cowboy and earned him his biggest check of the season at $7,739.

Strong First Season

During his first season in ProRodeo last year, Ford won two titles at the San Antonio Rodeo Qualifier and the Pioneer Days Rodeo. Heading into this season, fresh off his win at the INFR Ford remains consistent in his scoring and continues to show he’s putting in the work to land at the Thomas & Mack arena.

He’s had some other big wins early on in the season as well. He took home a Round 1 win at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and another rodeo title at the Cinch World's Toughest Rodeo in St Paul, Minnesota.

Although he’s sitting on the bubble right now, Ford has shown time and time again that he has the blood of a champion. He ended the 2025 season with an average score of 85.5 points and is sitting nicely right now with an average of 76.5 points.

If Ford is able to channel the spark that led him to the INFR title earlier this year, this young cowboy out of Sturgis, South Dakota may just earn himself a spot in Las Vegas at the end of the season.

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