Can Mason Moody Make It Back? Bull Rider Battles for Second Straight NFR Trip

As the 2026 rodeo season hits its peak, athletes are looking to secure their place at the top of the leaderboard. Earning a spot at the National Finals Rodeo means landing in the top 15, and for those on the bubble, now is more crucial than ever to earn as much cash as possible.

Bull rider Mason Moody landed his first NFR qualification after a fairytale season in 2025, and now at No. 16, the cowboy will have his work cut out for him if he wants to do it again.

Moody Looking To Make Top 15

Moody has secured $98,890 so far this season, thanks to some big wins early on and another great run throughout the summer. After finishing at No. 11 in the world last year, Moody is on a mission to prove he’s not a one hit wonder.

Moody held onto his NFR momentum heading into the 2026 season as he earned his largest check right off the bat. He scored big at the Fort Worth, TX Bulls Night Out in January, winning $24,600, a feat he has yet to do again in 2026.

The cowboy continued the season on the right path, with four big rodeo wins at the Huron PRCA Rodeo, the 155th Silver Spurs Rodeo, the Dixie National Rodeo, and the Bismarck PRCA Rodeo. Moody kept that momentum rolling into the early summer months as he pulled in two more titles at the Sitting Bull Stampede in early July and the Buffalo Stampede stampede just the week prior in June.

Hitting The $100,000 Mark

While this cowboy has yet to crack the $100,000 mark this season, he is just inches away as both cowboys in the spots ahead of him have managed the feat. T Parker in No. 15 ($104,314) sits $6,000 ahead while Tristan Mize in No. 14 ($106,836) is $8,000 ahead. While it’s not impossible to close that gap, it will only get harder for Moody to do so that the season continues.

Moody has hit a rough patch during his last few goes in the arena. He hasn’t earned a check since the middle of July and is struggling to stay mounted for a full eight seconds. As the big summer rodeos wind down, the chance to earn big are becoming slimmer, but despite this, Moody knows what it takes to make it to the Thomas & Mack arena come December.

With just two months to go in the regular season, Moody has to face down some of bull riding's top competitors and come out on top if he’s looking to see Las Vegas. After such success last year, Moody has marked himself as one to watch, and many are looking to see his name in lights once again.

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