GUNNISON, Colo. – ProRodeo contestants must have short memories. They can’t celebrate the highs too much, and they can’t stay in the dumps when things don’t go their way.
Even at just 20 years old, Rocker Steiner understands that as well as the most veteran of cowboys. Thirty hours after a rough day at the Calgary Stampede, Steiner turned the corner in a big way, riding United Pro Rodeo’s Big Apple for 87 points to take the bareback riding lead on Thursday’s opening night of the Cattlemen’s Days PRCA Rodeo.
“I had one bad ride with ahorse that nobody’s really ever heard of, (one that) turned back real tight in the chute and jumped away from me and started running away,” he said of his 64-point ride Wednesday afternoon before rebounding in Gunnison. “That’s the best part of rodeo. You have a bad horse, so you go on to the next one, and you get on a good one.
“Today was a really good tune-up. I call it practicing (while) making money at the same time. That was a great practice for sure that you can win a lot of money on.”
He and his traveling posse – two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Cole Franks of Clarendon, Texas, and Waylon Bourgeois of Church Point, Louisiana – left town en route to two Wyoming rodeos Friday and Saturday before the trio returns to Calgary for the championship round. Making a solid ride on a good horse in the Rocky Mountains is just what Steiner needs as he builds his confidence for Showdown Sunday in Alberta.
“I’m taking this year a lot more serious than I have before,” said Steiner, a two-time NFR qualifier from Weatherford, Texas. “It’s not that I didn’t take the past two years previously, but maybe not exactly as seriously as I should.”
He was a bit of a wunderkind in bareback riding. He took a different approach than most, and he’s been one of the best in the business since turning pro two seasons ago. He was the 2022 Resistol Rookie of the Year and has won at some of the biggest rodeos in the sport. He’s claimed NFR go-round titles and earlier this year staked claim to titles at large Texas indoor events in Fort Worth and San Antonio. He sits third in the world standings with earnings already near $110,000.
“There’s just nothing else I want to do other than riding bareback horses,” he said. “It kinda calms all the noise around in my life.”
He feels the same way about rodeo as his roommates on the road. Franks is 23 and is 11th in the world standings. Bourgeois is 25 and sits 18th. With only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advancing to ProRodeo’s grand finale, Steiner is hoping all three will get to play for the biggest pay in the game this December in Las Vegas.”
“Franky is going to be going to his third NFR, and Waylon’s going to be going into his first,” Steiner said. “It would mean a lot to me to be going down the road with Waylon when he makes his first NFR. That’s a journey I feel like we can share forever, because at my first finals, I didn’t get to do it with anybody, other than my dad.
“I don’t have a lot of friends in this world, and I might not be the easiest guy to get along with, but the ones I do have, I love with all my heart. I’ll do anything for those two guys going with me this year, my closest friends, and I’ll do anything to get them to the finals with me.”
Cattlemen’s Days
Gunnison, Colo.
July 11-13
Bareback riding: 1. Rocker Steiner, 87 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Big Apple; 2. Tilden Hooper, 85; 3. Waylon Bourgeois, 84; 4. (tie) Cole Franks, Gavin French and Isaac Ingram, 81.5; 7. Kash Martin, 79; 8. Hayden James 75.
Steer wrestling: 1. Jacob Wang, 4.7 seconds; 2. Garrett Guillot, 5.4; 3. Seth Peterson, 5.7; 4. Hadley Jackson, 6.1; 5. Chisum Docheff, 10.3; no other qualified runs.
Team roping: 1. Gary Haynes/Bryton Scheller, 5.5 seconds; 2. Austin Crist/J.W. Borrego, 5.8; 3. Clay Ullery/Tyce McLeod, 6.0; 4. Corey Whinnery/Robert Murphy, 6.2; 5. Kory Bramwell/Calvin Brevik, 9.5; 6. Blake Hirdes/Mike George, 10.6; 7. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 12.3; 8. Josh Kurfiss/Joey Menegati, 12.6
Breakaway roping: 1. Brighton Bauman, 1.8 seconds; 2. Nicole Baggarley, 1.9; 3. Tiffany Schieck, 2.2; 4. (tie) Kristy Stewart and Shayla Smith, 2.3; 6. Brooke Ladner, 2.4; 7. (tie) Beau Peterson and Jade Mitchell, 2.5; 9. Kassidy Dennison, 2.6; 10. (tie) Payton Scalzo, Kinlie Brennise, Haley Mason and Winter Williams, 2.7.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Tegan Smith, 86.5 points on United Pro Rodeo’s Ropin Dreams; 2. (tie) Jake Finlay and Gus Galliard, 85; 4. Isaac Richard, 82; 5. Cauy Pennington, 79; 6. Carter Sandberg, 76; no other qualified rides.
Tie-down roping: 1. (tie) Landyn Duncan and J.D. McCuistion, 9.3 seconds; 3. (tie) Jayden Broussard and Riley Pruitt, 9.4; 5. Bart Brunson, 11.1; 6. Stuart Hoar, 12.4; 7. Luke Meier12.5; 8. Chase Webster, 14.5.
Barrel racing: 1. Fallon Taylor, 17.74; 2. Tara Seaton, 17.83; 3. Rachel Huerkamp, 17.84; 4. Sara Redden, 17.89; 5. Megan Albrecht, 17.98; 6. (tie) Sarah Kieckhefer and Taylour Latham, 18.01; 8. Kelly Yates, 18.06; 9. Ryleigh Hauer, 18.08; 10. Codi Harman, 18.13; 11. Mackenzie McCuistion, 18.18; 12. Rayne Grant, 18.20.
Bull riding: 1. Vinell Mariano, 80 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s -33; no other qualified rides.