Four Bareback Riders Went Head To Head at New Years Eve Buck and Ball Fresh Off NFR

Four of bareback riding's best athletes were battling it out once again at the New Year's Eve Buck and Ball Rodeo, fresh off their NFR domination.

PRCA File Photo by Lara St Jacques

The rodeo season never ends for the best athletes in the game. With the National Finals Rodeo ending just a few weeks ago, these cowboys took no time off as they headed back into the arena to get a jump start on the 2026 season.

Ending the new year was the New Year's Eve Buck and Ball, and four bareback riders faced off once again, fresh out of the Thomas & Mack. 

Sam Peterson Continues To Dominate After NFR Average Win 

Sam Petersen continues to be at the top of his game. He took home the average title at the NFR and continued his winning streak as he won the Buck and Ball as well. The winning ride was 89 points on Summit Pro Rodeo's Game Trail, the highest bareback ride of the evening. 

The rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming is a great way to win some money going into 2026, and with a $75,000 payout for just three events, these athletes pocketed some serious change. Bradlee Miller is fresh off his second NFR, and after ending in the top three in the world standings, he has something to prove.

After Wednesday night, he now sits at the top spot in the world standings after taking home second in Wyoming with an 88-point ride on Tator Tot from Korkow Rodeos.

This is a great way to kick off the 2026 season for him as an injury slowed him down in early summer of 2025, essentially pulling him out of the race for the World Champion title. 

Best Bareback Riders Face Off At New Years Eve Buck and Ball Rodeo 

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2024 world champion Dean Thompson also put on a show at the Buck and Ball. He landed in the top three, which wasn’t good enough to take home any cash, but still a confidence booster for the elite cowboy. After falling to No. 10 in the 2025 world standings after the NFR, he is coming out strong this season to hopefully rise back up in the ranks. 

Cooper Cooke hit the 2025 NFR strongly; it was only his second qualification, but you’d never be able to tell. He took home a win in rounds one and nine, marking him as one to watch this season. Watch him, we will, as he won the first go-around at the Buck and Ball and ended up in fourth after securing an 81-point ride his second time on a horse. 

These four athletes all have something to prove this season. Each one had a strong run inside the Thomas & Mack, but with Rocker Steiner taking home the title, they each will have to double their efforts to earn the most money this season.

If this rodeo in Wyoming shows anything, it’s that these athletes are going to be fighting tooth and nail for the rest of the year to prove who can come out on top. 

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