This feels like the week the 2026 ProRodeo season has begun. Of course, there are fall rodeos that count toward the next year as always, but with Denver underway, Odessa complete and Fort Worth looming, the post-NFR dust gets kicked off for good.

This past weekend, also featured some dominant Circuit Finals performances in the Big Sky Country that need to be discussed as well.

Boudreaux Campbell’s quest to return to the NFR began with a victory at Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo. The five-time NFR qualifier who has spent the better part of the last four seasons riding in PBR was 90 points on $4,879 in the First Performance in Odessa on Jan. 8 and his score held up for the next nine days. Rookie standout Hayden Welsh was second with 87.5.

Stetson Wright started his 2026 off with 83 and 86 points in Denver, enough to advance to the Semifinals. Wright’s 86-point ride on Molly’s Game of Generations Pro Rodeo was also good enough to have him first in Round 2 through eight performances. A season ago, he debuted in Denver after missing more than a year of competition and made two rides in the 70s. As we went on to see in 2025, he once again looks like the cowboy who went 90 to win this rodeo in 2023.

Sage Newman grabbed more than 13,000 for sweep of Montana Circuit Finals, which was the most of any athlete. The Melstone native made three straight rides of 85.5 or better, finishing with 89 points and Baby Bugs and 88 points on Gronk to win the Average by 16.5 points. His 262.5 points on three is the highest aggregate score in Great Falls since at least 2015.

Wacey Schalla has started his season with back-to-back bareback riding wins with a victory at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo. He was 89 points in Odessa on Beutler & Son’s Guitar Town and on just two horses this season, he has made $9,828. Schalla finished fifth in the bareback riding in 2025.

Ty Erickson won the Montana Circuit Finals for the seventh time in his career. The seven-time NFR qualifier dominated in his home state once again in 2026, giving him three wins in Great Falls in the last four years. He won Rounds 2 and 3 and claimed the Average by 3.5 seconds.

Julie Plourde started her 2026 off with a bang. The reigning NFR Average Champion was 14.38 seconds to start her season off with a victory in Odessa while also leading Round 1 and sitting second in Round 2 in Denver. Her times of 15.06 and 15.00 at the National Western are two of the fastest three of the rodeo.

Sam Petersen won the Montana Circuit Finals despite not getting a check in Round 1. The No. 2 man in 2025 quickly bounced back, however, turning in rides of 90 and 86.5 to surge to 5.5-point victory in the Average. His 90-pointer on J Bar J’s Damn Straight was the first at the Montana Circuit Finals in over a decade.