Permit Saddle Bronc Rider Turning Heads With Over $120,000 Won Before Rookie Year

One Colorado cowboy has stepped into professional rodeo and made an immediate impact.

Tarleton State University Rodeo Team

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) requires that contestants who want to buy their card, and try to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), must compete on a permit first. A permit holder has to win at least $1,000 at PRCA-sanctioned events before one is able to purchase their card and start their rookie season.

Now, most who are pursuing their craft as a profession will not buy their card immediately after winning that $1,000 on their permit as their rookie year is not something that can happen twice. It isn't often that a contestant would be in the running for an NFR qualification on their permit, but it does happen, and it did this year.

Saddle bronc rider Coleman Shallbetter from Gunnison, Colo., has now spent not one, but two years competing on his permit. By the end of his first year in the PRCA (2024), he finished with nearly $60,000 won as the third-best permit holder in the event.

Shallbetter went on to compete at his first Mountain States Circuit Finals and came out as the year-end victor.

While the trio of saddle bronc riders from TSU (Ira Dickinson, Gus Gaillard, and Bailey Small) all decided to take their rookie years together in 2025, Shallbetter opted to wait another year. Gaillard went on to win the Resistol Rookie of the Year title with Dickinson and Small hot on his heels, while the 20-year-old Shallbetter was over on his own, dominating the permit standings.

Shallbetter's 2025 Season

Tarleton State University Rodeo Tea

There are many athletes who pursuit their education at the same time as their dreams of making the NFR and Shallbetter is one of them. Arguably there is no better program he could have chosen than Tarleton as the school is known for helping athletes get to the next level, while winning in the collegiate arena and in the classroom.

As a freshman, Shallbetter stepped into arguably the toughest region of college rodeo and qualified for his first CNFR as the third-place bronc rider in the Southwest Region. At the CNFR, he finished as the No.3 man in the nation to aid in Tarleton's back-to-back men's team title.

Shallbetter is the lone saddle bronc permit winner in over a decade to win more than $71,000; he finished the season with $120,575. The 2025 year technically started back in October of 2024, and he started winning from the get-go.

• 2024 Total Circuit Finals' Earnings- $7,575
• Rapid City XTtreme Broncs- $4,332 (first)
• Total San Antonio Earnings- $22,857 (co-champion)
• Rodeo Austin- $4,512 (round two winner)
• San Angelo Cinch Chute Out $5,250 (first)
• Total NFR Open Earnings- $12,625 (reserve champion)
• Pendelton- $8,147 (round one winner)

It's hard to imagine someone who has had this much success this year in his career, only started riding broncs five years ago. After speaking with him, he credits none of this to himself, but the people in his corner and especially his family.

Even though Shallbetter won't be nodding his head at the Thomas and Mack this year it is only a matter of time, which could come much sooner than later. He has bought his card for the 2026 year as he officially embarks on the quest for the coveted Resistol Rookie of the Year title and his first NFR qualification.

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