Road to Denver Complete for Timed Event Cowboys at National Western Stock Show

Sunny and 70 has made for odd weather in Denver, Colorado lately. It is hard to believe that the National Western Stock Show Qualifier is already here, and the NWSS is right around the corner.

The 2026 Winter Rodeos Are Here

Rodeo never really has a down season, and a short week after the completion of the 2025 National Finals Rodeo, cowboys are right back at it in Denver, Colo. The NWSS hosts a qualifier each year for rodeo contestants who were not qualified from the 2025 standings to compete at the big show in late January.

National Western Stock Show and Rodeo

The NWSS brings 80 contestants to the Denver Coliseum from January 15th through the 25th. Forty of the contestants qualify from their performance in the 2025 rodeo season. The remaining forty earn spots by competing in a qualifying event nearly a month before the rodeo. The qualifying event is not limited.

Qualifying for NWSS

The qualifier is just held for the timed events for the PRCA contestants. Each event will take ten guys from the first round, ten contestants from the second round, and then twenty will advance from the average. Contestants are taken from the rounds first, then from average, so if a contestant places in both rounds, they will be removed from the second round, and they will drop down in the second round to fill that spot.

Essentially the cowboys have three ways to try and earn their spot in their event.

Denver Qualifier Not in Denver?

Last minute, contestants were alerted to a facility location change for the NWSS qualifier. Due to NWSS decisions to keep the facility prepared for all the incoming horse traffic for the event, NWSS officials worked with Douglas County Fairgrounds to host the qualifier.

With the recent EHV-1 cases, NWSS felt it was best to keep horses away from the Denver location longer in hopes of keeping the facility ready for the 2026 NWSS. Though there is still only one reported EHV-1 case in Colorado, the goal is to be diligent with biosecurity and take all measures to ensure the show can go on in January.

Nevertheless, the cowboys still showed up at the facility in Castle Rock, Colo., in large numbers to fight for a spot to compete in NWSS. The qualifier added nearly $40K this year, making for great payouts and opportunities to kick off the 2026 season.

Steer Wrestling Results

National Western Stock Show Cattle Drive | National Western Stock Show Volunteer Photographers

In total, 113 steer wrestlers competed in the qualifying event. In the end, Mountain States Cowboy Winsten McGraw capitalized during the one-day event and placed in both rounds and the average. This launched McGraw to the number one position in the Mountain States Circuit standings for 2026.

Winsten is fresh off hazing at the NFR, where he brought his award-winning team of horses for Tyler Waguespack, Will Lummus, and Dakota Eldridge. Swamper carried the three veteran bulldoggers to multiple round wins and big paychecks during his time in Vegas.

First round:
1. (tie) Trell Etbauer and Peter Haas, 3.7 seconds, $1,623 each;
3. Kalane Anders, 3.9, $1,164;
4. Winsten McGraw, 4.0, $857;
5. (tie) Colin Fox and Talon Roseland, 4.2, $429 each.
Second round:
1. Hayden Webb, 3.8 seconds, $1,776;
2. Cody Harmon, 3.9, $1,470;
3. (tie) Joshua Ellison and Winsten McGraw, 4.0, $1,010 each;
5. (tie) Clay Tom Hurt and Sawyer Strand, 4.2, $429 each.
Average:
1. Winsten McGraw, 8.0 seconds on two head, $2,664;
2. Hayden Webb, 8.9, $2,205;
3. Trell Etbauer, 9.1, $1,745;
4. Clay Tom Hurt, 9.7, $1,286;
5. Chase Pierre, 9.8, $827;
6. Tyler Byrne, 10.2, $459.

Team Roping Results

Sooner state team roping pair Ryan Boatright and Jett Hillman are the average champions at the qualifying event, earning their spot at the Denver Colesium and pocketing $1,472 each. The team beat out 60 other teams on Sunday, the 21st. The pair placed in the first round, winning $558 each, and making the drive back to Oklahoma is a little easier with a golden ticket to the NWSS and fresh money in their pockets.

First round:
1. Hagen Peterson/Dylin Ahlstrom, 4.5 seconds, $981 each;
2. Cory Kidd V/Carson Johnson, 5.3, $812;
3. (tie) Ryon Joe Boatright/Jett Hillman and Ty Vaile/Manny Flores, 5.5, $558 each;
5. Denver Eng/Enrique Munoz, 5.9, $305;
6. Brayden Schmidt/Jaydon Warner, 6.0, $169.
Second round:
1. (tie) Cash Duty/Jake Edwards and Jet Toberer/Casey McCleskey, 4.9 seconds, $897 each;
3. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 5.0, $643;
4. (tie) Brit Ellerman/Clancey Kreutzer and Lyvan Gonzalez/Daryan Gonzalez, 5.2, $389 each;
6. Wheston Jones/Cordell Collins, 5.3, $169.
Average:
1. Ryon Joe Boatright/Jett Hillman, 11.7 seconds on two head, $1,472 each;
2. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 12.4, $1,218;
3. Joshua Kurfiss/Joey Menegatti, 12.5, $965;
4. Rance Bowden/Jess Harper, 14.0, $711;
5. Hagen Peterson/Dylin Ahlstrom, 14.2, $457;
6. Gavin Foster/Luke Miller, 14.5, $254.

Tie-Down Roping Results

Kansas cowboy Travis Staley won the Tie-down roping average, beating out 102 other tie-down ropers, after being 16.3 on two calves. He will take $2,570 to the bank for the average win and after placing in both the round as well, his trip to his neighboring state was well worth it.

First round:
1. Cutter Carpenter, 7.6 seconds, $1,714;
2. Bryson Sechrist, 7.9, $1,418;
3. Catfish Brown, 8.0, $1,123;
4. (tie) Jarvis Demery and Travis Staley, 8.1, $680 each;
6. Rio Nutter, 8.3, $295.
Second round:
1. (tie) Semaj Collins Jr. and Lucas Potter, 7.4 seconds, $1,566 each;
3. Cole Robinson, 7.8, $1,123;
4. Chizm Kuykendall, 7.9, $827;
5. (tie) Travis Staley, Colton Suther and Wyatt Williams, 8.2, $276 each.
Average:
1. Travis Staley, 16.3 seconds on two head, $2,570;
2. Jarvis Demery, 16.7, $2,127;
3. (tie) Chizm Kuykendall and Myles Kenzy, 17.4, $1,462 each;
5. (tie) Tyler Boxleitner and Rio Nutter, 17.9, $620 each.

There were nearly 300 contestants made the trip to Douglas County for the NWSS qualifier. The cowboys all pointed their pickups toward home to celebrate Christmas, and 160 of them will return to the Mile High City in January to compete again for their piece of the $500,000 added in prize money.