Who Will Win It All? Final Night of 2025 NFR Will Decide Gold Buckle Champions

Bareback Riding
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Saddle Bronc Riding
Tie-Down Roping
Barrel Race
Bull Riding
All-Around Race
More Rodeo News

After a full year of rodeo, thousands of miles, hundreds of rodeos, millions of dollars in payouts, it literally all comes down to this. Round No. 10 of the National Finals Rodeo will determine the 2025 World Champions.

Here are the scenarios as they break down by event.

Bareback Riding

This has been a battle that started in Round No. 1. Rocker Steiner came into the NFR with a season earnings record of $313,547. The standout cowboy from Weatherford, Texas, had a lead of over $80,000.

Steiner went four rounds without a paycheck, but did exactly what he needed to do in Round No. 9 to take back the driver's seat for the World Championship. He rode Kirsten Vold's Cafe Risque to 85.75 points, which was good enough to split second and third with Waylon Bourgeois.

The paycheck for $25,431 was just what the doctor ordered for Steiner. What also helped his bid for the championship was Jess Pope scoring just 84.5 points to split the last place in the round with Jayco Roper.

Pope holds a 3.5-point lead over the second-place man in the average. This will be key to determining the ultimate World Champion in the final round Saturday night. There are too many scenarios to play them all out. If Steiner stays in the average and places ahead of Pope in the round, it is very likely that he will earn his first title.

If the man in red were to buck off and Pope were to ride, that would be a game-changer. As it stands after Round No. 9, Steiner has earned a total of $446,616. Pope has gathered $343,149. That seems like a lot to overcome, but Pope is holding onto a $94,035 average check. So it all comes down to the placings in the round.

Steer Wrestling

Tucker Allen blowing a kiss to his family after his run. — Tucker Allen | Nathan Meyer Photography

"Big Will Lummus," as they call him, came into his eighth NFR searching for his first world title. When he pulled into Las Vegas, the Byhalia, Miss. man was about $30,000 in the world standings. Given that the rounds pay more than $36,000, this lead was nowhere near safe.

As it turned out, there was a man from Ventura, Cali. who came in with a mission in mind and executed it. Tucker Allen has won $154,010 just at the NFR. Add that to his season earnings of $160,867.48, and he is sitting in the driver's seat of the projected World Champion standings.

With Lummus going out of the average early on in the competition, the door opened for several cowboys to have a chance at a world title. Right now, it is Allen who is leading the average going into Round No. 10, and with that check worth $94,035 and Lummus out, it would allow Allen to earn his first world title.

All that Allen really has to do in Round No. 10 is get a time, and he will be crowned the World Champion. There are just four cowboys who have times on nine steers, so if he gets a qualified time, he can earn no less than fourth in the average. That would still be enough to crown him.

Team Roping

Kolton Schmidt and Jonathan Torres | PRCA File Photo by Lara St Jaques

What a show the team ropers have put on for several nights under the lid of the Thomas & Mack. There have been some Cinderella stories coupled with some true heartbreak. Just like in every event, it appears that some of these teams are just "snake-bit" for the week.

Some surprises include the 2024 World Champions, who have for years seemed to be almost flawless. This year, the chips just won't fall their way. They haven't faltered in recognizing how blessed they are just to be here, though. They will be back.

In the race to crown a World Champion, it has been interesting. At one point, it looked like it might be a split-team championship. As the days have gone on, there is a clearer picture emerging, and it is a Cinderella story. From the No. 14 qualifying spot, all the way to the projected World Championship, comes the team of Kolton Schmidt and Jonathn Torres.

Just like in most of the other events, it is all going to come down to the final steer. Schmidt and Torres are leading the average, and barring a complete no time in Round No. 10, they are in the driver's seat for the average and the title. After nine rounds, the Canadian and Floridian are 33 seconds flat. That is more than seven seconds ahead.

The picture is painted a little like this - even with a leg in Round No. 10, Schmidt and Torres look like they will be the World Champions. Should disaster strike and they get a no-time, then the field opens up. Andrew Ward and Jake Long will have a chance, along with the season leaders, Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira.

Saddle Bronc Riding

Stetson Wright riding a bucking horse — Nathan Meyer Photography

The saddle bronc riding is now known to be dominated by the Wright family from Utah. The season leader was Ryder, who came in with $303,994 but was in no way safe as the saddle bronc was one of the hottest races.

After nine rounds, the event is still being dominated by the Wright family, but the order has changed a bit. Stetson has won the most money of all of the competitors. In total, the All-around champion has earned $180,328 so far. Statler is right behind him with $177,075 at the NFR, and Ryder rounds out the top three money earners at $119,905.

Interestingly, it is Statler who is winning the average with 776.75 points on nine head. What this means for the World Championship is monumental. If the NFR ended after nine, Statler would be the titlist with Ryder earning the reserve title.

The story here is the same; it all comes down to the final horse. If Statler covers his horse even without placing in the round, he should still earn the title. Should he end up with a no-score, it looks like it will be Ryder Wright taking the championship back to Beaver, Utah.

Tie-Down Roping

Another scorching round of tie-down roping occurred in Round No. 9. Ropers had to be 8.0 or less to pick up a check. The 2019 World Champion picked up his first round win of the 2025 NFR bringing his NFR earnings to $85,800.

The World Championship looks like it is all but locked up. It is still mathematically possible for some of the field to catch Riley Webb, but it is unlikely.

If Webb gets a qualified time in Round No. 10, the reigning World Champion will join an elite club of tie-down ropers to win three consecutive world titles. Should he get a no time for some reason, it would likely drop him to sixth in the average race if everyone else got a time. That would still be a paycheck of $23,065. That would give him $462,690 in total earnings.

In order for Shad Mayfield to catch Webb a lot of things would have to happen. If Mayfield won the round, he would still need to move up to fourth in the average and that would take a lot of misfortune by several cowboys to have happen.

Even though John Douch would win the average, should the worst happen to Webb, he would have a total of $359,141. This would leave him well short of catching Webb and is mathematically impossible.

So, barring a lot of misfortune, and Webb making a big mistake, he will be your 2025 World Champion Tie-Down roper.

Barrel Race

The 2025 NFR in the barrel racing might not be remembered for the positive times. The horses and riders have faced adversity since before the NFR ever started. From a tragic accident forcing Anita Ellis out of competition to the EHV-1 and EHM outbreak affecting horses, it has been stressful.

Just when the barrel racers thought relief was coming and that they would be able to enjoy their main mounts in Las Vegas, the ground caused even more issues.

Only three cowgirls remain after the end of nine rounds with clean runs. The reigning World Champion barrel racer, Kassie Mowry, has been unstoppable. She has won two rounds on two different horses and just continues to chip away toward earning her second consecutive world title.

Mowry leads the average as well as the standings. Even if she were to tip one barrel in the final round, the Dublin, Texas lady would still finish at fifth in the average, which would catapult her total earnings to $391,461.

Should Julie Plourde and Mowry tip barrels, this would allow three-time World Champion Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi a chance. She would need to win the average and at least second in the round in order to catch Mowry.

It truly would have to be a lot of luck on some people's part and true unfortunate circumstances on others in order for Mowry to leave Las Vegas without the title. But, where it is not mathematically impossible, you must consider all the possibilities.

Bull Riding

Qynn Anderson riding a bull. — Nathan Meyer Photography

Qynn Anderson rode his way right onto the South Point Buckle Stage in Round No. 9. Anderson covered Sutton Rodeos Mr. Gold for a total of 87 points and a check worth $40,512.

If everything stays exactly as it was at the end of Round No. 9, Stetson Wright would earn his third bull riding World Championship. He is currently holding down the number three spot in the average race worth $60,324. Depending on what he does in the final round, he also has the chance to break the record for total amount earned during a year in the bull riding.

Currently, Wright is $90,811 ahead of the number two-ranked bull rider, Ky Hamilton. In the average race Hamilton has the advantage, but Wright is close behind. Again in this race, it is mathematically possible to catch Wright but it will take luck on several people's part and misfortune for Wright.

If "Superman" just covers his bull for a score, the race will be secured. If he bucks off then it will depend solely on who rides and how the round turns out.

All-Around Race

This is the only race that has been decided before the final round starts. Stetson Wright will be the 2025 World Champion All-Around Cowboy. He is sporting a total winnings count of $736,359, while Wacey Schalla has a very impressive total of $570,013.

Schalla has had some tough luck at the finals and is not in a position to cover that much ground in the average or final round.