Bull Riding Rookie Noah Lee Claims Calgary Win and No. 1 Spot in the World Standings

Just a few months into his ProRodeo career, Noah Lee is making his way to the top after winning the Calgary Stampede.

Bull riding action | National Western Stock Show Volunteer Photographers

It’s rare to see a ProRodeo rookie on top of the world standings,  but Noah Lee is defying all odds as he has not only won the legendary Calgary Stampede the first year of his career, but he has now catapulted to the top of the leaderboard with $229,547. 

Massive Win at Calgary

Lee put on a career-defining performance in Canada as he quickly set the standard for competitors. He not only won over $21,000 thanks to his win in Bracket Two, but he also landed in first for that pool in the first round  (90.5-point ride) and the third round (88.5-point ride).

It’s not often you see cowboys scoring in the 90’s, especially this early in their career, but clearly Lee is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete as he continues to raise the bar. Despite falling to fourth place in the semi-finals, Lee was not going to let that stop him from taking the final round. 

He came into the arena strong, and as one of the only cowboys to stay mounted, his 77-point ride on Wayne Vold Rodeo's Whiskey At Noon was enough to earn him that massive $50,000 check. 

This wasn’t Lee’s first big win of the season either. The 18 year old out of Mineral Wells, Texas has dominated all season long. He’s already championed eight other rodeos, including San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo early in the season and more recently, the Cody Stampede Rodeo (where he earned over $10,000) and Rodeo Corpus Christi. 

It's Not A Fluke For Lee

Lee may be younger than many of his peers, but that isn’t stopping him from earning better scores more consistently. He already has nine rides so far this season that have been above 90 points, and that’s compared to Tristen Hutchings three at No. 2 in the standings and the 10-time world champion Stetson Wright (No. 3) who only has four rides scored that high. 

While he’s never seen the Thomas & Mack arena, Lee is not only on his way to Las Vegas, but could also earn himself the Resistol Rookie of the Year title. This young cowboy is clearly giving seasoned pros a run for their money, and he has no plans on slowing down as Cowboy Christmas continues. 

There are still a few months to go in the regular season, but the win in Calgary has only widened the gap between him and Hutchings. Lee now sits nearly $20,000 ahead of the No. 2 cowboy and even further ahead of Wright, with over $55,000 separating the two.

If Lee can pull this far ahead of world champions at this point in his career, there’s nowhere to go but up for him. Hopefully, the cowboy will only continue to prove himself throughout the rest of the season and lead up to a legendary run at the National Finals Rodeo later this year.