RodeoHouston didn’t just hand out life-changing checks, it redefined the race for Gold Buckles. With $65,000 on the line for each champion, the dust settled with some familiar faces cashing in big and a few athletes proving they still belong in the conversation despite slow starts to 2025.

In his first three rodeos – Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Raleigh – he earned just $125 and had only one ride in the 80s. Houston, however, was a different story. He delivered five rides of 84.5 points or better, capping it off with a 91-point ride in the Short Round to win the rodeo.

Just like that, Steiner has surpassed $70,000 in season earnings and is now No. 2 in the PRCA World Standings.

“If I was doing this for myself, I’d probably just be some degenerate kid, but I can’t fail with the family I have, they’re everything,” he said.

In steer wrestling, Tucker Allen avenged last year’s second-place finish with a 4.2-second run in the Shootout. He sealed the deal in dominant fashion, posting three consecutive runs of 5.2 seconds or faster and claiming victories in both Wild Card 1 and the Shootout.

In team roping, Derrick Begay and Colter Todd were the only duo to handle the Shootout pressure, delivering the lone clean run and winning the rodeo with a time of 5.8 seconds.

Tucker Allen, Derrick Begay, and Colter Todd all sit atop the World Standings in their respective events.

Meanwhile, Ryder Wright isn’t just No. 1 in the Saddle Bronc Riding World Standings after his win in Houston, he’s on a historic pace.

The reigning World Champion needed an extra horse to get the job done, defeating Kolby Wanchuk in a Ride-Off with an 87-point ride. With the $73,750 he earned in Houston, Wright’s season total now sits at $131,901.

Damian Brennan, who shattered the PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding regular-season earnings record by $27,000 last year, had $116,000 after his win in Houston.

“(This ranks) right there at the top (of my favorite titles), all I can say is it’s been a long time coming,” Wright said.

It was the reigning World Champion once again taking home the hardware in the tie-down roping. Riley Webb finished the job with runs of 8.8, 8.2, and 7.6 seconds, all round winners and the latter was the fastest of the rodeo. He is the only tie-down roper over $100,000 and this is his second RodeoHouston title in the last three years.

In breakaway roping, Taylor Munsell saved her best for last, delivering a 2.7-second run to edge out Bradi Good and win the rodeo by a tenth of a second. The $65,000 prize money is especially significant in breakaway, where it took approximately $80,000 to claim the No. 15 spot for the NFR last season. With her season earnings now exceeding $88,000, she is all but guaranteed a spot in the field in Las Vegas this December.

As for the barrel racing, it was another 2024 Gold Buckle winner on top in H-Town. Kassie Mowry was the last cowgirl out and her 14.50-second run squeaked her by Hailey Kinsel, whom she out dueled in Las Vegas in December to win her first World Title.

“I didn’t (know if I was going to win), it was so tough and so close and when it comes down to thousandths of a second, you really don’t know,” Mowry said. “We finally nailed our first barrel, that’s been a real struggle for us.”

Finally in bull riding, Tristen Hutchings closed things down with the biggest score of the rodeo, 91.5, to win the Shootout. Hutchings was 5-for-6 inside NRG Stadium after making just three qualified rides on the season entering RodeoHouston.

QUICK DRAW

Seven of the nine RodeoHouston winners are now No. 1 in their respective World Standings. The only two who are not are Rocker Steiner (No. 2) and Tristen Hutchings (No. 3).

Riley Webb has made $101,324 compared to Shad Mayfield’s $107,379 at this time a year ago. If Webb were to break Mayfield’s PRCA Regular Season Earnings record, it would be the fourth straight year that record has changed hands between Mayfield and Webb.

It is the second straight year a Ride Off or Rope Off was needed to determine the winner of RodeoHouston. Last year, brothers Ty and Joel Harris needed one extra calf in the tie-down roping.

The Top 3 in the barrel racing – Kassie Mowry, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, and Hailey Kinsel – are the last three WPRA World Champions.

RESULTS

BAREBACK RIDING

Championship: 1. Dean Thompson, 89 points on; 2. (tie) Bradlee Miller and Rocker Steiner, 88.5 each; 4. Sam Petersen, 85.5; 5. (tie) Mason Clements, Orin Larsen and Mason Stuller, 85, $2,500 each; 8. Jess Pope, 84.5, $2,500; 9. Cole Reiner, 83, $2,500; 10. Clay Jorgenson, 81.5, $2,500.

Shootout: 1. Rocker Steiner, 91 points, $65,000; 2. Bradlee Miller, 89.5, $30,000; 3. Sam Petersen, 85.5, $20,000; 4. Dean Thompson, 83, $10,000.

STEER WRESTLING

Championship: 1. Dalton Massey, 4.2 seconds; 2. Ty Erickson, 4.4; 3. Holden Myers, 4.5; 4. Tucker Allen, 4.6; 5. Ryan Shuckburgh, 4.7, $2,500; 6. Tyler Waguespack, 5.3; 7. Cash Robb, 13.8, $2,500; 8. Tyler Pearson, 14.4, $2,500; 9. Eli Lord, 14.5, $2,500; 10. Stephen Culling, NT, $2,500.

Shootout: 1. Tucker Allen, 4.2 seconds, $65,000; 2. Holden Myers, 5.2, $30,000; 3. Dalton Massey, 15.0, $20,000; 4. Ty Erickson, 25.3, $10,000.

TEAM ROPING

Championship: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Travis Graves, 4.9 seconds; 2. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 5.1; 3. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 5.5; 4. Erich Rogers/Kollin VonAhn, 5.7; 5. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 10.2, $2,500; 6. Lightning Aguilera/Patrick Smith, 10.8, $2,500; 7. (tie) Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, Clint Summers/Paul Eaves and Coy Rahlmann/Cole Curry, NT, $2,500 each.

Shootout: 1. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 5.8 seconds, $65,000; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Travis Graves, 15.1, $30,000; 3. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 16.2, $20,000; 4. Erich Rogers/Kollin VonAhn, NT, $10,000.

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Championship: 1. Ryder Wright, 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Womanizer; 2. Kolby Wanchuk, 86.5; 3. Chase Brooks, 86; 4. Weston Hughes, 85; 5. Layton Green, 84.5, $2,500; 6. Zac Dallas, 84, $2,500; 7. (tie) Statler Wright, Logan Hay and Damian Brennan, 83.5, $2,500 each; 10. Ben Andersen, 83, $2,500.

Shootout: 1. (tie) Ryder Wright and Kolby Wanchuk, 88 points each; 3. Chase Brooks, 86, $20,000; 4. Weston Patterson, 85, $10,000. Ride Off: 1. Ryder Wright, 87 points, $65,000; 2. Kolby Wanchuk, 81.5, $30,000.

BREAKAWAY ROPING

Championship: 1. Joey Williams, 3.2 seconds; 2. Beau Peterson, 3.6; 3. Taylor Munsell, 3.9; 4. Brady Good, 4.3. 5. Kendal Peterson, 12.5, $2,500; 6. Cheyanne McCartney, 12.8, $2,500; 7. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Jackie Crawford, Rickie Fanning and Shayla Hall, NT, $2,500 each.

Shootout: 1. Taylor Munsell, 2.7 seconds, $65,000; 2. Bradi Good, 2.8, $30,000; 3. Joey Williams, 12.4, $20,000; 4. Beau Peterson, NT, $10,000.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Championship: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 8.2 seconds; 2. Shane Hanchey, 8.6; 3. Zack Jongbloed, 8.9; 4. Kincade Henry, 9.1; 5. Marty Yates, 9.1, $2,500; 6. Corey Solomon, 9.3, $2,500; 7. Blane Cox, 11.0, $2,500; 8. (tie) John Douch and Riley Pruitt, 17.9, $2,500 each; 10. Tuf Cooper, NT, $2,500.

Shootout: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 7.6 seconds, $65,000; 2. Kincade Henry, 8.1, $30,000; 3. Zack Jongbloed, 8.4, $20,000; 4. Shane Hanchey, 19.9, $10,000.

BARREL RACING

Championship: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 14.57 seconds; 2. Acey Pinkston, 14.67; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.68; 4. Kassie Mowry, 14.70; 5. Jordon Briggs, 14.73, $2,500; 6. Summer Kosel, 14.78, $2,500; 7. Leslie Smalygo, 14.82, $2,500; 8. Michelle Alley, 14.98, $2,500; 9. Jamie Olsen, 19.92, $2,500; 10. Emily Beisel, 19.98, $2,500.

Shootout: 1. Kassie Mowry, 14.50 seconds, $65,000; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 14.52, $30,000; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 14.59, $20,000; 4. Acey Pinkston, 14.79, $10,000.

BULL RIDING

Championship: 1. Tristen Hutchings, 86.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Centerfold; 2. Wacey Schalla, 84.5; 3. Mason Moody, 81.5; 4. Stetson Wright, 77; 5. (tie) T.J. Gray, Jordan Spears, Lane Vaughan, Luke Mast, Jackson Ward and Hayes Weight, NS, $2,500 each.

Shootout: 1. Tristen Hutchings, 91 points, $65,000; 2. (tie) Wacey Schalla, Mason Moody and Stetson Wright, NS, $20,000 each.