BULLS BRONCS & BREAKAWAY KICK OFF COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

CASPER, Wyo. (June 14, 2026) — The College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) began its 2026 edition with two sessions of Bulls, Broncs & Breakaway on Sunday, June 14.

Athletes in the bareback, saddle bronc, bull riding and breakaway roping all made their first appearance in the arena at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper.

The afternoon started strong when bareback rider Kooper Heimburg, a recent Missouri Valley College graduate with an ag business degree was the first athlete to compete. He rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s horse Lakota Park for 86.5 points. The 2025 CNFR Reserve Champion Bareback Rider took a commanding lead in the round. The closest any other cowboy could get to Heimburg’s mark was 84 points by Toby Deudney of Odessa (Texas) College. If Heimburg’s momentum continues, he could be vying for a national title on Saturday.

The highest score of the day came in saddle bronc riding where Tagg Bond of Clarendon (Texas) College Scored 86 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s horse Bronchitis to win the saddle bronc riding. Jack Ford of McNeese State University in Louisiana scored 83 points for second place.

Bull rider Gavin Knutson of University of Montana Western took round one in bull riding with an 82-point ride on Championship Pro Rodeo’s bull named Homer. Knutson graduated this month with a business degree. Eight bull riders made a qualified ride in round one.

Just two-tenths of a second separated round one’s top eight breakaway ropers. First place was split four ways between Emma Ohm of Black Hills State University (South Dakota), Brooke Bruner of Clarendon College, Ruby Espy of Missouri Valley College and Alissa Erickson of Cisco (Texas) College. The four cowgirls each represented a different region and they all stopped the clock in 2.1 seconds.

A total of 427 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association athletes from colleges and universities across the country have gathered in Wyoming for the weeklong CNFR which culminates with the crowning of the 2026 national champions on Saturday, June 20.           

Top athletes from 12 geographic regions compete in three rounds of competition. The top 12 cumulative scores or times advance to Championship Saturday to vie for national championships.

The first round of competition in the other five events will be held on Monday; then the second round of competition will finish on Tuesday afternoon. Round three is spread over four rodeo performances beginning Tuesday evening and running through Friday evening.

CASPER, Wyo.—The following are results from the first round of the College National Finals Rodeo, June 14, 2026, courtesy of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Complete results are available at www.cnfr.com.

Bareback Riding: 1, Kooper Heimburg, Missouri Valley College, 86.75 points. 2, Toby Deuddney, Odessa College, 84.0. 3, Wyatt Arneke, Clarendon College, 82. 4, (tie) Rhett Robbins, Garden City Community College, and Colton Farrow, University of Wyoming, 81.5 each. 6, (tie) Taylon Carmody, Tarleton State University, and Collin Roland, Missouri Valley College, 81.25. 8, Carson Hildre, Clarendon College, 79.5.

Breakaway Roping: 1, (tie) Emma Ohm, Black Hills State University; Brooke Bruner, Clarendon College; Ruby Espey, Missouri Valley College; and Alissa Erickson, Cisco College, 2.1 seconds each. 5, Ella Begger, College of Southern Idaho, 2.2. 6, (tie) Hailey Burger, Montana State University, 2.3; Elizabeth Miranda, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo; and Brynn Leavitt, Weber State University, 2.3.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Tagg Bond, Clarendon College, 86.0 Points. 2, Jack Ford, McNeese State University, 83.0. 3, Waitley Sharon, Sheridan, Tarleton State University, 82.75. 4, Christopher Nelson, Sheridan College, 81.75. 5, Dane McPhall, Fort Scott Community College, 79.75. 6, Bryett Larsen, Western Texas College, 79. 7, Clay Greenslade, Tarleton State University, 79.25. 8, Matt Cicisly, Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo, 78.75.

Bull Riding: 1, Gavin Knutson, University of Montana Western, 82.0. 2, Dakota Smith, Northwest Mississippi Community College, 80.5. 3, Hayden Welsh, Odessa College, 79.75. 4, Wyatt Davis, Mid Plains Community College, 78.75. 5, Tucker Taylor, Treasure Valley Community College, 76.5. 6, Sam Berti, Wharton County Junior College, 78.5. 7, Brock Cooper, Treasure Valley Community College, 76.5. 8, Cade Griego, New Mexico State University, 74.5.

Provided Courtesy of Susan Kanode to Tenn Texas Radio & Media
CNFR photo by Jackie Jensen