Bull Riding World Standings Intensify Battle to the Top

Here's a look at how things have shaken out and who's holding the top 15 spots right now.

Jake Gardner winning at RodeoHouston. | RodeoHouston

Each year, the bull riding world standings turn into a story of their own, one that fans can’t look away from. From the back-and-forth battles we’ve watched the past few seasons, to what it takes to stay on top. New names rise to the top, momentum shifts, and by the time it all plays out, only one walks away with the coveted gold buckle.

The 2026 season has shown that this race is intensifying. Here's where the standings are now.

​New Name, New Face, New Number 1

Jake Gardner | RodeoHouston

Fort St. John, BC bull rider Jake Gardner had a huge moment at RODEOHOUSTON just weeks ago, a win that shot him straight to the top of the standings. He now sits in the number one spot with $84,788 in earnings, $74,375 of that coming from his Houston run alone. That win proves just how crucial the winter rodeos are, and Gardner has set himself up perfectly as the spring season gets underway.

Placing fifth in the 2025 world standings after his fourth National Finals Rodeo (NFR) appearance, Tristen Hutchings has already crossed the million-dollar mark in career earnings at just 26 years old. He now sits second in the world with $78,991. Hutchings kicked off the season at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (FWSSR), earning $11,333 along with a round win to build early momentum.

Next came San Antonio, where he rode consistently and earned the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo championship, taking home $32,565. Since then, he's added nearly $28,000 to his total, proving he's still in the hunt for first place.

Stetson Wright | Nathan Meyer Photography

Stetson Wright of Beaver, Utah, also known as “Superman,” is currently ranked third with $72,379.08. Wright has cashed a check in nearly every stop that he’s made in the 2026 PRORODEO season so far.

From the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo (NWSSR) to Fort Worth, then San Antonio, Houston, and now $4,150 in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Southeastern Livestock Exposition, his consistency has kept him steadily chipping away toward the top once again.

Leading the Resistol Rookie Bull Riding leaderboard and sitting fourth in the world standings, 20-year-old Hayden Welsh is ready to make a push toward his first NFR, competing against athletes he’s grown up watching and learning from.

Last year, while still on his permit, he earned enough money during his season to have qualified for the biggest stage in rodeo. This year, there’s nothing standing in his way, and he’s already proven he’s more than capable of making a run for the top.

The world saw Cooper James make his NFR debut in 2024, finishing third in the world standings. This year, he’s back and aiming for his second NFR this December. So far in 2026, he’s earned $64,673, cashing in at RODEOHOUSTON as well as stops on the Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo Tour.

The rest of the standings are as follows:
6. Luke Mackey - $64,536.08
7. Braxton Whitesell - $62,607.79
8. Mason Moody - $61,994.18
9. Lane Vaughan - $58,142.38
10. Colton Byram - $57,766.12
11. Bryce Jensen - $56,749.36
12. Qynn Andersen - $56,541.21
13. T Parker - $49,860.80
14. Boudreaux Campell - $49,491.97
15. Cullen Telfer - $44,344,76