Cowboy Christmas 2026 Preview: Riley Webb
Riley Webb is sitting comfortably at the top of the world standings, reportedly leading by nearly $42,000. But behind him, the race gets much tighter. Get ready for Cowboy Christmas to show early indicators of who is heating up, who is hanging on, and who might just be about to break through.
Cowboy Christmas Is Where The NFR Race Starts Getting Real
Riley Webb is sitting comfortably at the top of the world standings, reportedly leading by nearly $42,000. But behind him, the race gets much tighter. Ty Harris is holding the No. 15 position by less than $700, and several ropers are close enough to change the picture with one strong weekend.
That is what makes Cowboy Christmas one of the most important stretches in professional rodeo.
For casual fans, it can look like a busy run of rodeos around the Fourth of July. For contestants, it is something very different. It is a high-pressure, high-mileage, high-opportunity sprint where every run can shift the standings. A cowboy sitting outside the Top 15 can suddenly become part of the National Finals Rodeo conversation. A veteran can protect his position. A rookie can make a name for himself. A leader can stretch the gap.
This is also when rodeo storytelling gets sharper.
By the time December arrives in Las Vegas, fans know the names that made the NFR. But the stories that get them there often begin right now. Cowboy Christmas is where momentum becomes measurable. It is where consistency gets rewarded. It is where one missed calf, one barrier, one fast time, or one big check can change the season.
For media, sponsors, and rodeo fans, this is the stretch to watch closely. The standings are not just numbers. They are early indicators of who is heating up, who is hanging on, and who may be about to break through.
Tie-down roping is a strong example because the bubble is so tight. When the difference between No. 15 and the next group is measured in hundreds or a few thousand dollars, every rodeo matters. That creates urgency, tension, and a reason for fans to pay attention before the NFR field is set.
The next two weeks will not decide everything. But they will shape a lot.
Cowboy Christmas has always been one of rodeo’s defining runs. This year, the tie-down roping race is giving fans a clean reason to start watching now.
Cowboy Christmas Is Where the NFR Race Starts to Get Expensive
Cowboy Christmas is almost here, and the rodeo world is about to hit one of the most important stretches of the season.
Over the next 30 days, world standings can change fast. A rookie can become a real NFR contender. A bubble athlete can move into the Top 15. A familiar name can either separate from the pack or get caught.
This is the part of the summer where rodeo storylines get made.
As major PRCA rodeos open across the country, all eyes are on who is heating up, who is holding steady, and who is about to make the kind of run that changes their season.
That Western Life will be watching the names moving up, the rodeos that matter, and the stories behind the standings.
Because in rodeo, July does not just pay well.
It decides a lot.
That point usually arrives somewhere between late June and the Fourth of July.
In rodeo, they call it Cowboy Christmas. The name sounds charming, almost quaint, like a dusty holiday built around truck stop coffee, fireworks, and a stack of entry confirmations. In reality, it is one of the most economically consequential stretches of the professional rodeo season.
For roughly ten days, contestants can run at a concentration of high-paying rodeos that rarely exists anywhere else on the calendar. Greeley. Ponoka. St. Paul. Cody. Prescott. Livingston. Red Lodge. Oakley City. Molalla. Belle Fourche. Basin City. Benalto. And a long list of smaller but strategically useful rodeos that can turn one good week into a season-altering swing.
This is not just the busy part of the year.
This is the part where the math starts to get serious.
The NFR Cutline is not a feeling. It is a number.
The National Finals Rodeo takes the Top 15 in each event at the end of the regular season. That phrase, “Top 15,” gets used so often t can lose its weight. But the number required to get there is substantial.
Heading into the 2025 National Finals Rodeo, the No. 15 cutoff in major PRCA/WPRA events generally landed between about $100,000 and $145,000 in regular-season earnings. The low end was breakaway roping, where No. 15 Macy Young entered with $100,028. Steer wrestling’s No. 15, Gavin Soileau, entered with $105,899. Team roping headers and heelers were just above that, at $114,736 and $111,672, respectively. Tie-down roping required $126,957. Bareback riding required $129,951. Bull riding required $138,918. Saddle bronc riding was the highest of this group, with No. 15 Lefty Holman entering at $144,872. Barrel racing’s published 2025 field showed Katelyn Scott in the No. 15 position with $130,763.
Put another way: across those nine NFR event categories, the 2025 average No. 15 threshold was roughly $122,644.
That is the number Cowboy Christmas begins to chase.
A contestant who wins $25,000 to $35,000 over the Fourth of July run has not merely had a good week. They may have banked 20% to 30% of what it took, on average, to make the NFR in 2025.
That is why this stretch matters.
Why the Fourth of July pays differently
The rodeo economy is not evenly distributed.
There are rodeos that matter because of prestige. There are rodeos that matter because of history. There are rodeos that matter because of geography - don’t forget, contestants are still battling for year-end circuit finals as well. And then there are rodeos that matter because the checks are large enough to alter a contestant’s season in one trip.
Cowboy Christmas is where all of those things stack.
St. Paul Rodeo in Oregon says contestants compete for nearly $500,000 in prize money, with top competitors taking home individual winnings as large as $10,000. Cody Stampede, according to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, draws 800-900 contestants and has a payout of more than $400,000, while also being a one-header rodeo, which means contestants can compete once and keep moving. Greeley Stampede has recently been reported as paying more than $400,000 as well. Ponoka Stampede’s format can produce large individual outcomes, especially through its finals and showdown structure.
That structure is why Cowboy Christmas is not only about talent. It is about logistics.
A contestant has to draw well, compete well, drive all night, manage horses, manage injuries, hit the right set of rodeos, and make the kind of decisions that do not show up in a results sheet. Do you chase the biggest check? Do you take the rodeo that fits your horse? Do you skip a rodeo to keep one fresh? Do you enter a smaller stop because it is on the route and the odds are better?
The standings reward money. But Cowboy Christmas tests judgment.
The case studies
Halyn Lide
In 2024, barrel racer Halyn Lide became a clean example of what this stretch can do.
Lide was the highest-earning barrel racer over Cowboy Christmas, with reported earnings of roughly $32,550 across the Fourth of July run. Her money came from major stops including Ponoka, Greeley, and Oakley, Utah. She won Greeley and Oakley, and also picked up a go-round win at Ponoka.
The result was not just a good week. It changed the way people talked about her season.
By late November, The Cowboy Channel framed Lide as a first-time NFR qualifier and pointed back to her Cowboy Christmas earnings as a major piece of that climb. That is the function of this run: it turns “watch her” into “she is in the race.”
For fans, that is the moment to pay attention. Not in December, when the back numbers are already assigned. In July, when a contestant starts putting pressure on the bubble.
Emily Beisel
Emily Beisel offers the veteran version of the same story.
In 2024, Beisel finished just behind Lide among Cowboy Christmas barrel racing earners, with $30,211. The breakdown is the important part: $17,460 at Ponoka, $11,086 at St. Paul, and $1,665 at Red Lodge.
That kind of week does two things. First, it moves money into the standings quickly. Second, it confirms a competitor’s summer strategy.
Beisel was not an unknown name. She was already one of the sport’s proven winners. But Cowboy Christmas can serve veterans differently than rookies. For a new name, it creates attention. For a veteran, it creates separation.
In a season where the No. 15 barrel racing cutoff was around $130,000 the following year, a $30,000 Fourth of July run represents nearly a quarter of that benchmark.
That is not momentum as a metaphor. That is momentum as arithmetic.
Riley Webb
Tie-down roper Riley Webb delivered the 2025 version.
Webb reportedly won $32,537 during Cowboy Christmas 2025, with checks at Cody, St. Paul, Killdeer, Basin City, Livingston, and Greeley. The largest piece came from St. Paul, where he won $16,235. He also added $5,090 at Basin City, $4,599 at Greeley, and $4,376 at Cody.
Compare that to the 2025 NFR tie-down roping cutoff: Shane Hanchey entered the NFR at No. 15 with $126,957. Webb’s Fourth of July run alone was equal to roughly 25.6% of that threshold.
That is the scale of the opportunity.
A single week cannot make an NFR season by itself. But a week like that can change the pressure of every rodeo that follows. It can move a contestant from chasing the bubble to defending a position. It can make a sponsor notice. It can make media start writing the name differently. It can make every check in August and September feel like a step toward Las Vegas rather than a rescue mission.
What fans should watch
Cowboy Christmas is not only about who wins the famous rodeos. Sometimes the more interesting story is who places everywhere.
A roughstock rider who wins one major rodeo can make a leap. A timed-event contestant who places at five stops may do even more damage. A barrel racer who gets through Ponoka, Greeley, St. Paul, and a smaller rodeo with clean runs can suddenly become impossible to ignore.
The names to watch are not only the world No. 1s. They are the contestants sitting from roughly No. 12 to No. 25 in the standings before the run begins.
That is the volatile zone.
A contestant already inside the Top 10 can use Cowboy Christmas to build distance. A contestant sitting just outside the Top 15 can use it to break in. A rookie can use it to become a storyline. A veteran can use it to remind everyone that summer rodeo is not won by hype, but by cashing checks in places most fans only see as dots on a map.
Why this matters for rodeo media
For That Western Life, Cowboy Christmas is exactly the kind of stretch that deserves more attention.
Rodeo coverage often gets loudest when champions are crowned. But the more interesting story often starts earlier, when the standings are still unsettled and the sport has not yet agreed on who matters.
This is where the NFR race begins to sharpen.
This is where unknown names become dangerous.
This is where good horses become famous.
This is where a contestant can go from “having a decent year” to “we need to talk about them.”
And this is where fans can learn to watch rodeo differently.
The Fourth of July run is not just a holiday tradition. It is a market correction. It rewards the contestants who can win, travel, manage risk, and keep performing when the sport asks the most from them in the shortest window.
By the time December arrives, the NFR field can feel inevitable.
In July, it is still being built.
The 2022 National Finals Rodeo by State
The 2022 National Finals Rodeo is quickly approaching and we thought we’d take a dive into where our 2022 Contestants are from state-by-state!
The 2022 National Finals Rodeo is quickly approaching and we thought we’d take a dive into where our 2022 Contestants are from state-by-state!
Texas
Barrel Racing (8): Jordon Briggs (Tolar, TX) | Stevi Hillman (Granbury, TX) | Hailey Kinsel (Cotulla, TX) | Shelley Morgan (Eustace, TX) | Sissy Winn (Chapman Ranch, TX) | Kassie Mowry (Dublin, TX) | Bayleigh Choate (Fort Worth, TX) | Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi (Lampasas, TX)
Tie-Down Roping (7): John Douch (Huntsville, TX) | Caleb Smidt (Bellville, TX) | Tuf Cooper (Decatur, TX) | Cory Solomon (Prairie View, TX) | Marty Yates (Stephenville, TX) | Ty Harris (San Angelo, TX) | Kincade Henry (Mount Pleasant, TX)
Team Roping (6): Tanner Tomlinson (Angleton, TX) | Tyler Wade (Terrell, TX) | Lightning Aguilera (Athens, TX) | Buddy Hawkins (Stephenville, TX) | Patrick Smith (Lipan, TX) | Wesley Thorp (Throckmorton, TX)
Steer Wrestling (1): Hunter Cure (Holliday, TX)
Bull Riding (2): Jeff Askey (Athens, TX) | Maverick Potter (Waxachie, TX)
Saddle Bronc (1): Wyatt Casper (Miami, TX)
Bareback (4): Rocker Steiner (Weatherford, TX) | Leighton Berry (Weatherford, TX) | Cole Franks (Clarendon, TX) | Tilden Hooper (Carthage, TX)
Oklahoma
Barrel Racing (4): Dona Kay Rule (Minco, OK) | Wenda Johnson (Pawhuska, OK) | Emily Beisel (Weatherford, OK) | Leslie Smalygo (Skiatook, OK)
Tie-Down Roping (4): Clay Smith (Broken Bow, OK) | Joseph Harrison (Marietta, OK) | Tyler Milligan (Pawhuska, OK) | Hunter Herrin (Apache, OK)
Team Roping (4): Andrew Ward (Edmond, OK) | Coleman Proctor (Pryor, OK) | Travis Graves (Jay, OK) | Brye Crites (Welch, OK)
Bull Riding (3): Trevor Kastner (Roff, OK) | Trey Kimzey (Strong, OK) | Lukasey Morris (Union City, OK)
Canada
Team Roping (1): Jeremy Buhler (Arrowwood, AB)
Bull Riding (1): Jared Parsonage (Maple Creek, SK)
Saddle Bronc (6): Zeke Thurston (Big Valley, AB) | Logan Hay (Wildwood, AB) | Layton Green (Millarville, AB) | Kolby Wanchuk (Sherwood Park, AB) | Kole Ashbacher (Arrowwood, AB) | Dawson Hay (Wildwood, AB)
Bareback (1): Orin Larsen (Inglis, MB)
Montana
Tie-Down Roping (1): Haven Meged (Miles City, MT)
Team Roping (1): Clay Tryan (Billings, MT)
Steer Wrestling (2): Ty Erickson (Helena, MT) | Timmy Sparing (Helena, MT)
Saddle Bronc (2): Sage Newman (Melston, MT) | Chase Brooks (Deer Lodge, MT)
Bareback (1): Caleb Bennett (Corvallis, MT)
Kansas
Tie-Down Roping (1):
Team Roping (1): Jake Long (Coffeyville, KS)
Steer Wrestling (1): Tanner Brunner (Ramona, KS)
Bull Riding (2): Trey Holston (Fort Scott, KS) | JR Stratford (Byers, KS)
Bareback (1): Jess Pope (Waverly, KS)
Louisiana
Tie-Down Roping (3): Shane Hanchey (Sulphur, LA) | Zack Jongbloed (Iowa, LA) | Macon Murphy (Keatchie, LA)
Steer Wrestling (3): Tyler Waguespack (Gonzales, LA) | Tristan Martin (Sulphur, LA) | Rowdy Parrott (Mamou, LA)
Idaho
Steer Wrestling (2): Stetson Jorgensen (Blackfoot, ID) | Dirk Tavenner (Rigby, ID)
Bull Riding (2): Garrett Smith (Rexburg, ID) | Tristen Hutchings (Monteview, ID)
Saddle Bronc (1): Kade Bruno (Challis, ID)
California
Team Roping (1): Cody Snow (Los Olivios, CA)
Saddle Bronc (1): Lefty Holman (Visalia, CA)
Bareback (2): R.C. Landingham (Hat Creek, CA) | Clayton Biglow (Clements, CA)
South Dakota
Barrel Racing (2): Jessica Routier (Buffalo, SD) | Lisa Lockhart (Oelrichs, SD)
Team Roping (2): Jr. Dees (Aurora, SD) | Levi Lord (Sturgis, SD)
Utah
Team Roping (1): Rhen Richard (Roosevelt, UT)
Bull Riding (2): Stetson Wright (Milford, UT) | Josh Frost (Randlett, UT)
Saddle Bronc (2): Stetson Wright (Milford, UT) | Ryder Wright (Beaver, UT)
Bareback (1): Kaycee Feil (Genola, UT)
Wyoming
Saddle Bronc (2): Brody Cress (Hillsdale, WY) | Tanner Butner (Daniel, WY)
Bareback (1): Cole Reiner (Buffalo, WY)
Minnesota
Steer Wrestling (1): J.D. Struxness (Milan, MN)
Bull Riding (1): Reid Oftedahl (Raymond, MN)
Bareback (1): Tanner Aus (Granite Falls, MN)
Florida
Barrel Racing (1): Margo Crowther (North Fort Myers, FL)
Team Roping (2): Dustin Equsquiza (Marianna, FL) | Jonathan Torres (Ocala, FL)
Mississippi
Team Roping (1): Jake Orman (Prairie, MS)
Steer Wrestling (1): Will Lummus (Byhalia, MS)
Nevada
Team Roping (1): Jade Corkill (Fallon, NV)
Steer Wrestling (1): Dakota Eldridge (Elko, NV)
Washington
Team Roping (2): Riley Minor (Ellensburg, WA) | Brady Minor (Ellensburg, WA)
New Mexico
Tie-Down Roping (1): Shad Mayfield (Clovis, NM)
Team Roping (1): Logan Medlin (Tatum, NM)
North Dakota
Bareback (1): Ty Breuer (Mandan, ND)
Nebraska
Bareback (1): Garrett Shadbolt (Merriman, NE)
Iowa
Bareback (1): Tim O’Connell (Zwingle, IA)
Missouri
Bull Riding (2): Creek Young (Rogersville, MO) | Cole Fischer (Jefferson City, MO)
Australia
Bull Riding (1): Ky Hamilton (Mackay, QL)
Wisconsin
Steer Wrestling (1): Nick Guy (Sparta, WI)
Oregon
Steer Wrestling (1): Jesse Brown (Baker City, OR)
Alabama
Steer Wrestling (1): Kyle Irwin (Roberstdale, AL)
Tennessee
Team Roping (1): Chad Masters (Cedar Hill, TN)
Georgia
Team Roping (1): Kaleb Driggers (Hoboken, GA)
Colorado
Team Roping (1): Trey Yates (Pueblo, CO)
Brazil
Team Roping (1): Junior Nogueira (Presidente Prudente, SP)
Dona Kay Rule Test Positive for COVID-19 and is OUT of the 2020 NFR
(December 3, 2020) - Rumors broke early Thursday morning of Round 1 of the National Finals Rodeo. Barrel Racer Dona Kay Rule, who enters the NFR sitting in third place, roughly $19,000 behind leader Britany Pozzi Tonozzi, tested positive for COVID-19 and, per the supposed PRCA restrictions, will not be allowed to compete. The number 16 barrel racer, Jessie Telford, will be stepping up to round out the class.
(December 3, 2020) - Rumors broke early Thursday morning of Round 1 of the National Finals Rodeo. Barrel Racer Dona Kay Rule, who enters the NFR sitting in third place, roughly $19,000 behind leader Britany Pozzi Tonozzi, tested positive for COVID-19 and, per the supposed PRCA restrictions, will not be allowed to compete.
Posted at 10:45 am PST on Dona Kay Rules official instagram. Click to see more comments.
In a post on Instagram, Dona thanks fans for their support and to let us know that she feels healthy with zero symptoms. Called up is Jessie Telford of Idaho who was sitting #16 in the world standings. Here’s a post she made around 8:49 PST on Instagram. Click the link below to see more of the commentary.
Here’s the rumors we know:
All the contestants were required to take a test.
It’s known that if they test positive, they are out for the remainder of the NFR.
Random athletes will be tested each day of the NFR.
This poses a number of questions in regards to what is happening in the WPRA and PRCA for the NFR. An inconsistency across the board and lack of transparency to fans could prove detrimental during an event so many hoped to see happen.
Dr. Emily Melchior joins That Western Life to connect the dots between cattle science, ruminant nutrition, animal health, applied research, sustainability, and the future of agriculture. From growing up as a horse girl outside of agriculture to earning her PhD and supporting global cattle research, Emily brings a practical, grounded perspective on why healthy animals, curious producers, strong data, and open-minded leadership matter for the next generation of the Western industry.