CNFR 2026 Kicks Off in Casper With NFR-Bound Contestants: Preview & Predictions

It’s been a full year in the making, but now the top college rodeo athletes have arrived in Casper, Wyoming and will get to showcase their talents at the College National Finals Rodeo.

Throughout the season, the National Intercolligiate Rodeo Association is split into regions. Those regions all host rodeos, with the top four athletes at the end of the season advancing to the CNFR, where everyone starts with a clean slate.

All the rigs have arrived, horses are checked in, and now it’s time to see who will prove to be the best of the best. Many of these young athletes have yet to make their way onto the scene of professional rodeo but others have already conquered that course and are even headed toward a National Finals Rodeo qualification.

As we took a look over the draw, there were several names that stood out. Of course, rodeo is a game of chance and luck of the draw, so these predictions are all in fun, so here we go.

Saddle Bronc Riding

In total, 46 cowboys will be nodding their heads in Casper this week for the saddle bronc riding event. In the last few years, Colorado natives have really made an impression on the world of saddle bronc, and for that reason, we are going to pick Waitley Sharon as the favorite. Both Waitley and Traven, his brother, will be competing in this event. The Sharon brothers from Ordway, Colo. have worked their way up in this event and will be names to remember.

Waitley is currently ranked number 30 in the PRCA World Standings with $31,138 in earnings so far, and this experience should really help him at the CNFR.

Another Colorado native has a great chance to be the champion as well. Mitchie Story was the 2025 Mountain States Circuit Champion and has carried that momentum forward into his bid in 2026.

This wouldn’t be a good conversation without recognizing the fact that a Pope has shown up in the draw. Judd Pope, the brother to World Champion Bareback Rider Jess Pope, surely has some brotherly advice that he can take advantage of and be at the top of the leaderboard.

Bareback Riding

Bareback rider at the CNFR — Bareback Riding | Abbie Parr-Imagn Images

As with many associations, the bareback riding has the least amount of contestants. Just 35 men will call for their horses this week in Casper, but make no mistake, the competition will be tough.

Starting out with draw number one, Kooper Heimburg is certainly one to pay attention to. Missouri Valley College gets to boast having the 2024 ProRodeo Permit Finals Champion competing for them. He also won the final round at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo. in January of 2025.

This is a kid who has seen the lights at some really big rodeos so he certainly won’t be star-struck at the CNFR.

Wyatt Warneke from Clarendon College will be another tough competitor. Just this past spring Warneke rode one for 87 points at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo to finish fourth in a round.

Finally, Blayn Hughston has all the ability to take home the championship. He has been on the ProRodeo trail and picking up several checks along the way. Recently, he finished second in Herriman, Utah with an 83.5-point ride.

Bull Riding

There are just so many variables in the bull riding that it makes it so hard to pick favorites, but in this event, one competitor stands out. Hayden Welsh.

Welsh was just the number one pick in the PBR Teams Draft and is well on his way to earning his first trip to the National Finals Rodeo. He is in a tight race for the Resistol Rookie of the Year as well.

There are just 36 bull riders entered, and so many of them are capable. Welsh just has a ton of news surrounding him right now, and sometimes that’s all it takes to get your momentum rolling.

Tie-Down Roping

A tie-down roper at the CNFR. — Tie-down roping | Abbie Parr-Imagn Images

In total, 44 talented cowboys will back in the box in the tie-down roping with just one coming out as the champion. This group is oozing with talent so hopefully the luck of the draw won’t play a huge factor here.

Let’s start with Koby Douch. Once again, he’s got some familial ties and some people in his corner that could give him an edge. Brother John is a four-time NFR qualifier and the Douch brothers have been coached by eight-time World Champion Joe Beaver. Koby comes with his own set of talents and will be one to watch.

Brodey Clemons has already made a name for himself and will be one to keep an eye on here. In the 2026 PRCA Resistol Rookie race, Clemons has already won in excess of $41,000. In fact, in the last week in the PRCA, he has won more than $15,000. He will be our pick to win the CNFR.

Don’t leave out Sam Lewis and Coleman Canton from your picks though. This is a tough group right here and in our opinion should be one of the best events to watch for the crowd.

Steer Wrestling

As in many of the other events, the leader of the Rookie of the Year standings can also be found at the CNFR. Colin Fox, coming from Sam Houston State University, has all the tools to be tough here.

Teammate Clay Hurt is number two in those same standings and will give Fox a run for his money here. The truth is that the steer wrestling may come down to who draws the best steers because the roster is full of talent.

Team Roping

Other than the bull riding, this will be the hardest event to predict anything in. The small arena, unpredictable steers and just overall variables, the team roping is probably wide open.

Fans will get to watch 57 teams competing to win the championship. Giving this just a shot in the dark, we will go with what we know. Originally coming from Colorado, the Weil brothers, Rowdy and Roan, will be our pick. These two have spent thousands of hours in the practice pen and have all the tools.

Barrel Racing

College National Rodeo Finals | Abbie Parr-Imagn Images

Depending on the region these ladies qualified from, some may have more experience than others at running in a small pattern building. That will be in their favor for sure, when coming to Casper.

Acey Pinkston has to be the favorite here. She is the 2025 reigning CNFR Champion. She will come in with a lot of confidence in her ability and her horse and that’s a hard combo to beat.

Adyson Wright put on a good show in 2025 at the CNFR and after being named the Rookie of the Year last year will have plenty of experience on her side now.

Brylee Grubb was fifth at the 2025 CNFR in the barrel race and is a tough all-around cowgirl in the Central Rocky Mountain Region. She will be a title threat.

Don’t leave out Emma Ricke from your picks. She was right with the pack last year and will be a tough competitor this year for the conversation of champion.

Breakaway Roping

We have to admit we can cheat a little here because the first round was complete before this piece went out. So, with more information, we are going to pick Brooke Bruner as the favorite here. She split the first round win four ways and has quite a bit of experience on her side.

The other top cowgirls from round one were Alissa Erickson, Ruby Espey and Emma Ohm. All of these top ropers stopped the clock at 2.1. Every one of them has the chance and ability to rope the title.

Ella Begger was right behind them all with her 2.2-second run. Brynn Leavitt, Elizabeth Miranda and Hailey Burger was 2.3.

Anything can happen here with stock a portion of the equation.

Goat Tying

A girl tying a goat at the CNFR. — Goat Tying | Abbie Parr-Imagn Images

This is the crowd favorite, without a doubt. These ladies are absolutely incredible. Given that goat tying is not something we follow on a regular basis, we are going to defer her and let you just sit back and enjoy the action.

You will see some smoking fast runs and some awful wrecks. These ladies are fearless and have no problem getting off those horses running 35 mph. The talent and level of commitment here are remarkable. We will be keeping our fingers crossed that all the knees remain healthy.

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