World Champions and Rising Stars Advance to NFR Open Finals

The NFR Open is well underway with the first two pools of contestants completed. See who has earned the right to advance so far.

Bradlee Miller | Nathan Meyer Photography

The NFR Open hosted by the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo is well underway. The rodeo brings together the top contestants from each of 13 circuits across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Two contestants are invited to come - the winner of the 2025 circuit championship and the winner of the average from each respective circuit finals. Mexico just sends one representative.

That formula makes 27 contestants ready to show up and compete against each other to see who comes out on top. The rodeo consists of seven performances.

The first six allow contestants to compete in two full go rounds. They are split into three different brackets of nine contestants. Out of those brackets, the top three advance to the finals.

Here is who has advanced out of Brackets 1 and 2.

Moving On to the Finals

The bareback riding is shaping up to be a matchup of the year. Bradlee Miller has won the first round of Bracket 3 and is set up to advance if he covers his horse in the final performance. Fresh off a win in Calgary, Miller is on a heater and ready to further his lead in the world standings.

The first two brackets advanced Donny Proffitt, Clay Jorenson, Colt Eck, Mason Yancy, Luke Thrash and R.C. Landingham.

In the steer wrestling Ty Erickson lead the way in the first bracket. He was joined in the top three by Scott Guenthner and Grant Peterson.

In the second bracket, Pacean Deleeuw, Traver Johnson and Tad Williams earned the right to move on.

Scott Kellman won the first round of bracket three and will be looking to make his move in the final performance.

The team ropers have several NFR qualifying names among those moving to the finals. Bracket one produced Cole Eiguren/Breck Ward; Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison; and Garrett Tonozzi/Trey Yates.

Bracket two got faster with Clay Tryan/Ty Arnold taking the win in the average with a 10.2 on two steers. Kavis Drake/Denim Ross and Jake Smith/Nicky Northcott took home the top three honors.

The Whitlow team of Travis and Tyler posted the fastest time in the first round of bracket three to take the win.

Kade Bruno | Fernando Sam-Sin

Kade Bruno put together two outstanding rides in the first set of saddle bronc riders to take the win. He was just ahead of Ross Griffin and Weston Patterson.

Bracket two produced Chase Brooks, Lefty Holman and Ryder Sanford in the top three. This bracket struggled a little as Sanford only had to ride one horse to move on.

Young gun Waitley Sharon put on a show in the first round of bracket three. He was in his home state and comfortable in an arena he’s been in multiple times. An 86 flashed up on the screen and he took the win.

Tom Crouse, fresh out of Calgary, earned his way to advance out of the first bracket of tie-down ropers. Lucas Potter and Mason Stueve will join him in the finals.

Bracket two of tie-down was filled with familiar names. Brushton Minton tied two calves down in 18.7 seconds total to take the win. Shad Mayfield was second at 19.2, and Ike Fontenot earned the third-place spot.

Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | Fernando Sam-Sin

The barrel racers have been fast around three barrels. Multiple-time NFR qualifier Emily Beisel outdid the rest in bracket one with Megan McLeod-Sprague and Hayle Gibson-Stillwell right behind her.

Bracket two was filled with more world champions. Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, Hailey Garrison Graham and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi all made their way to the finals.

The bull riders moving on include Gavin Knutson, Hayden Welsh, Cole Hill, Ramon Fiorini de Souza, and Jake Gardner.

Nothing is set until bracket three finishes up, then the nine contestants will move on to the finals and compete for the championship.