Photo Finish Caps Off 2026 Professional Rodeo Season for Saddle Bronc Riders

On September 30, Damian Brennan and Ben Andersen both entered the last day of the 2026 professional rodeo season in a precarious position in the World Standings. Brennan was No. 15, just $50 ahead of Andersen, who was No. 16.

Fortunately for this pair of talented saddle bronc riders, a recent addition to the end of the season offered them one last opportunity to bank big.

The Duel at the Dunes in Roggen, Colo., was held on the final day of the season, and for rough stock riders, it was truly the "last chance" at professional rodeo money to qualify for the 2026 National Finals Rodeo (NFR).

Both Brennan and Andersen needed to make things happen on the last day of September to secure their trips to Las Vegas this season, and both cowboys have the right mindset and ability to rise to that level of pressure.

Full Season Reduced to One Day, One Ride

A large bay bucking horse explodes out of the chute with Andersen in his seat — Ben Andersen at Reno Rodeo 2026 | Fernando Sam-Sin

In the first round, Andersen finished second with an 86.5-point ride for a $3,715 payday. Brennan was just half a point behind, at 86, to finish third for $2,746.

The Shootout Round is where a 365 days of professional rodeo came down to one defining ride.

With an 85-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo's Hillbilly Havoc, Brennan captured the win. Andersen finished second with an 84-point trip on Cervi Championship Rodeo's Avenger.

For Brennan, the two rides totaled $5,246, and Andersen's total was $5,215. Both cowboys had come into the day $3,000 behind the No. 14 cowboy, Gus Galliard. Unfortunately for Galliard, the day belonged to the pair of international cowboys, who leapfrogged him to finish the year inside the top 15.

Unofficially, Brennan ended the season with $158,073 in earnings and No. 14 in the World. Andersen was only a few dollars behind, at $157,992 and No. 15 in the World. Just $81 over Andersen, Brennan, of Injune, Queensland, Australia, qualified for his fourth consecutive NFR.

With $1.2 million in career earnings, Brennan has had a standout year, winning titles at the High Desert Stampede (Redmond, Ore.), Pasadena (Texas) Livestock Show & Rodeo, and the Advantage Dirt Bares and Broncs (Ellensburg, Wash.), just to name a few.

2026 will mark Andersen's fifth NFR qualification, and the cowboy from Eckville, Alberta, Canada, fought until the bitter end to earn that position. A third-place finish at the North Dakota Roughrider Cup in Mandan, N.D., for $8,409 near the end of the season was a huge moment for him.

He also claimed the win at the Poway (Calif.) Rodeo in the final weekend of the season, and a check for fourth place at the Sheriff's PRCA Rodeo in San Bernardino, Calif.

Even for cowboys who have made several trips to the Thomas & Mack, qualifications do not come easy, and this pair proved just how gritty competitors have to get to close the season out strong.

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