Reigning World Champ Rocker Steiner Shares ‘Recovery Starts Now’ After Neck Surgery

Rocker Steiner is currently No. 1 in the Bareback Riding World Standings, after a dominant winter at just eight rodeos. With $122,142 in season earnings, he has roughly $8,000 over Bradlee Miller, who now sits No. 2.

Steiner has been unstoppable in his five-year professional rodeo career, with four National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifications, a Reserve World Championship, and a World Championship on his resume. Setting arena records and making headlines are just a few of the things the red-hot young cowboy does best.

Beyond the flash and the media spotlight, Steiner has truly dedicated his life to his craft.

In 2025, his gold buckle earned the Steiners a spot in the record books as the first family with three generations of World Champions. His grandfather, Bobby, won the Bull Riding World Championship in 1973, and his father won the Steer Wrestling World Championship in 2002.

Unexpected Plot Twist in 2026 Season

Rocker Steiner dressed in red riding a bareback bucking horse. — Rocker Steiner | Fernando Sam-Sin

Following a $100,000 win (which does not count towards the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Standings) at 2026's The American Rodeo, Steiner surprised the entire rodeo community with an announcement that would take him out for the entire summer.

The 22-year-old underwent a discectomy with a top spine specialist in Texas. Steiner shared prior to the procedure, the underlying issues involved two herniated discs that were pressing into his spinal cord, affecting his left hand.

Following surgery on June 2, Steiner is expected to be out for three months. While he will miss the summer run, he could return just in time for the many lucrative rodeos that close out the season in September, including the CINCH Playoffs and the Governor's Cup.

Steiner shared with Cowboy + (formerly The Cowboy Channel) that playing his guitar was what prompted him to take the issue more seriously. Despite waking up sore most days, he attributed it to the usual aches and pains of riding bareback horses.

One of the major concerns was numbness and weakness in his left hand, a major issue when riding some of the most powerful bucking horses in the world. Steiner went in for an MRI following The American Rodeo and was advised his best option was surgery, before the issues worsened or became permanent.

On June 5, Steiner shared on social media that he has a favorite movie he enjoys watching when dealing with an injury.

From our research (and some guessing), we believe this is Bleed For This, the true story of Vinny Pazienza. The Champion boxer broke his neck in a car accident and was told he would likely never walk again and would certainly never fight again.

The story feels fitting as the perfect inspiration for bareback riders, who compete in the most physically demanding event in rodeo.

We cannot wait to see what Rocker does once he is back inside the arena, but in the meantime, we know what movie we will be watching tonight.

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