Rodeo Daily

The Four Bareback Riders Taking On Their First National Finals Rodeo

This year's bareback riding saw an incredible field of competitors, with four first-timers earning a seat inside the top 15.
Teal Stoll|
Sam Petersen
Sam Petersen | Fernando Sam-Sin/@fsamsin

The Class of 2025 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) bareback riders includes four first-time qualifiers to the biggest event in rodeo. In one of the tightest top 15 races we have ever seen, $100 determined the qualifiers to this year’s NFR. It took $129,951 to earn a coveted top 15 seat this season. 

No. 2 - Sam Petersen - $221,901 

At age 22, Helena, Mont., cowboy Petersen has earned a spot in his first-ever NFR. In 2023 and 2024, he finished No. 19 and No. 20 in the World Standings, respectively, earning $97,448 and $97,405. Following the two nearly identical seasons, he shook things up in 2025 to make a huge breakthrough move. 

Currently ranked No. 2 behind the electric Rocker Steiner, Petersen banked over $220,000 throughout the regular season. Solid finishes at the Governor’s Cup (winning the finals for $20,000) and the North Dakota Roughrider Cup (second for $12,079) wrapped up his lucrative season. The former National High School Finals Rodeo All-Around Champion won the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and Central Wyoming Fair and PRCA Rodeo in the same week, along with countless other major wins this season. 

No. 9 - Jacek Frost - $143,543

Another cowboy who had the NFR within reach during the previous two seasons, Frost finished No. 24 in 2024 and No. 22 in 2023. The 21-year-old from Browns Valley, Calif., won the Pendleton Roundup, Puyallup Rodeo, and Walla Walla Frontier Days, just to name a few. Frost grew up in a rodeo family, where he began his career in junior rodeo and ultimately settled on bareback riding as his main focus. 

No. 12 - Waylon Bourgeois - $137,864

Traveling with multiple-time NFR qualifiers Rocker Steiner and Cole Franks was a positive decision for Church Point, La., cowboy Waylon Bourgeois. The 26-year-old finished a then career-high at No. 18 in the World in 2024, and finished inside the top 30 the previous two seasons. This year, he broke through that ceiling to qualify for his first NFR.

Winning multiple rodeos in his southern “home territory,” Bourgeois was the champion at the Southeastern Circuit Finals, Springhill PRCA Rodeo, Georgia National Rodeo, and Silver Spurs Rodeo, amongst many others. 

No. 13 - Wacey Schalla - $136,109

Schalla may be a rookie to the NFR in the bareback riding, but he has already ridden under the bright lights of the Thomas and Mack 10 times. In 2024, the Oklahoma cowboy qualified in the bull riding. This year, he is a threat in both rough stock events, as well as the All-Around race.

Pushing $500,000 in season earnings, the 20-year-old from Arapaho leads the way in the bull riding. A second-place finish at the North Dakota Roughrider Cup for $12,079 sealed the deal for his 2025 qualification in the bareback riding.

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Teal Stoll
TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.

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