Rooftop Rodeo Winners Boost NFR Hopes with Big Performances in Estes Park

The 2026 rodeo season is gaining speed fast, and every rodeo counts for these athletes trying to secure a place at the National Finals Rodeo come December. While some are making their mark at the Calgary Stampede, other athletes at the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, Colorado did not disappoint.

Rough Stock Lineup

Bareback rider Cooper Cooke is looking to secure his spot in the top 10 as he sits in the No. 11 spot in the world standings. He came in with something to prove in Colorado as he dominated in the arena with a winning ride of 84.5-points on Cervi Championship Rodeo's Tail Tuck.

Cooke is taking home over $5,000 which will push him into the $100,000 mark in the world standings, potentially pulling him into No. 9.

Saddle bronc rider Mitchell Smith may be an underdog now (sitting unranked in the world standings) but he won’t stay like that for long in his career if he keeps up this pace. The cowboy landed on top in Colorado thanks to an 83-point ride.

Trevor Reiste pulled in the highest score and the biggest check of the week for cowboys in the bull riding arena. The cowboy pocketed $5,104 thanks to his 87-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo's Brimstone.

Timed Event Cowboys

Cowboys in steer wrestling did not disappointed as there was a need for speed throughout each round. Bridger Anderson set the pace in round one and nailed down his steer in just 3.5-seconds. While the bar was now set high, that speed was unable to be beat as Winsten McGraw won round two with the same time.

Though Anderson put up a good fight, McGraw’s average score was 7.6 seconds on two head which ultimately won the rodeo and a nice check for over $5,000 to take home. These cowboys continue to battle for a spot in the top 15, and now McGraw is one step closer.

Team roping pair Jake Smith and Douglas Rich nailed it down quickly in Colorado as they beat the next fastest duo by just a millisecond. The time to beat was 4.6 seconds, set early on by Smith and Rich, and now each is going home nearly $5,000 richer as they couldn’t be beat.

John Douch and Haven Meged were the only pair to tie for first at the rodeo. These two tie-down ropers were not giving the other an inch to win. The time to beat was 7.6-seconds and both cowboys pulled down their calf with the same amount of speed and veracity, putting them both at the top of the leaderboard.

Barrel Racing Action

Cowgirls took over the arena for two events in the rodeo, and these ladies did not disappoint at the Rooftop Rodeo. It quickly became obvious that the time to beat was going to be a quick one when the time to beat came from Abby Phillips at 15.26 seconds.

She pulled in the most cash of the event at $6,000 thanks to her performance. Those behind her did give her a run for her money as Kim Squires crossed the finish line for the second spot at 15.44 seconds and Jana Bean came in third with a run of 15.46 seconds.

With time beginning to run out in the regular season, every check will matter as cowboys and cowgirls work to land in Las Vegas come December.

Breakaway Ladies

Paying out more than $22,000 to the ladies, the breakaway was a fast and furious affair. No one was faster than Kimberly Williams when she set the pace at 2.1 seconds.

For her short time in the arena, Williams walked away with a check worth $4,437.

Colorado’s own Brooke Bruner was close behind with her 2.2 to earn the second-place check valued at $3,549.

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