It All Comes Down to This: Bareback Riding Down to the Wire With One Round Remaining

The bareback riding race is neck and neck as four contenders head into Round 10 with the world championship and average title at stake. Here are the stats and predictions for the final round.

Rocker Steiner / Hillary Maybery for Rodeo On SI

The race for the gold buckle in the bareback riding is coming down to the very last round of the 2024 National Finals Rodeo. With four guys still well in the hunt for the World Title, Round 10 will be a make-or-break situation. Of the four in the race, two are NFR rookies, making their first appearance at the Thomas & Mack, and all four are under 22 years old. Here's a look at the current standings.

#1 - Rocker Steiner $379,879
#2 - Bradlee Miller $350,213
#3 - Keenan Hayes $303,068
#4 - Dean Thompson $299,106

The No. 1 man coming into Vegas was 21-year-old Rocker Steiner from Weatherford, Texas. This is his third trip to the National Finals Rodeo. After a no-score in Round 2, Steiner was out of the average race. However, he has come back to have an impressive performance in the last seven rounds, picking up a Round 6 win and several other big checks.

Before Round 10 begins, Steiner sits in the top spot by just under $30,000. However, without being in the average conversation, Rocker needs some other stories to play out just right, too. For him to secure that gold buckle, he needs Cole Franks to hold the lead in the average race. If the other contenders move up in those standings, Rocker’s position will be in jeopardy. A round win and another $33,000 there would also greatly help his cause.

NFR Rookie, Bradlee Miller has made his presence well-known in Vegas with an outstanding performance thus far. The 21-year-old from Huntsville, Texas came into his first NFR in the No. 11 position. He has made big moves by winning Round 2, Round 4, and Round 7. He has won an incredible $198,539 in the last 9 rounds, skyrocketing to No. 2 in the world standings. Miller is also sitting No. 4 in the average race. Bradlee has made a serious case for the World Title in his NFR debut.

The reigning World Champion, Keenan Hayes is back in the race for another gold buckle. Hayes has maintained a strong presence at the 2024 NFR despite battling a groin injury. He has consistently placed throughout the past nine rounds but needs to make big moves tonight. He is No. 3 in the average race and No. 3 in the world standings. Keenan came into Vegas right behind Steiner and has kept the gold buckle in sight since.

Dean Thompson, also a first-time NFR qualifier, sits in second place in the average race. He’s had an impressive rookie performance, winning Round 5 and Round 8. He entered Vegas in the No. 4 position and has maintained his standings there. Dean has shown remarkable consistency, currently sitting in second place in the average race. Dean is only half a point behind Cole Franks in that average. The substantial average check could be the key to pushing him into the top spot and securing his first world championship.

Current Average Standings

#1 - Cole Franks, 766.5/9
#2 - Dean Thompson, 766.0/9
#3 - Keenan Hayes, 763.5/9
#4 - Bradlee Miller, 762.0/9
#5 - Weston Timberman, 760.5/9
#6 - Jess Pope, 759.5/9
#8 - Cole Reiner, 753.5/9

If everything plays out as expected, Bradlee Miller is projected to be the World Champion. However, as we have seen throughout the finals, one round can dramatically change it all. Regardless of who the World Champion turns out to be, these young bareback riders have put on an incredible show at the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Round 10 Matchups

As the battle for the world title plays out, round 10 is sure to be exciting with many great rider/horse matchups. The round win is crucial as the races come down to a one header.

Jess Pope is looking to repeat his Round 9 win in the final round. He drew one of the greatest bucking horses of all time, C5 Rodeos' Virgil. Jacob Lees split the win in Round 5 aboard Virgil with the highest marked score so far, 91 points. Horse of the Year, Night Crawler and Dean Thompson were also 91 that night. Leighton Berry will team up with Pickett Pro Rodeos' Night Crawler for Round 10.

As for the world title contenders, Steiner drew Macza Pro Rodeos OLS Tubs Stevie Knicks. Cole Franks covered the bronc for 85 points in Round 5. Will this matchup be enough for the round win and gold buckle?

Bradlee Miller will be on Straight Ringer from J Bar J Rodeo Company while Keenan Hayes will be matched up with Summit Pro Rodeos Game Trail. In attempts to move up in the average race, Dean Thompson will face J Bar Js' Straight Stick, a horse Bradlee Miller scored 89 points on in Round 5.

The matchups in Round 10 are sure to deliver plenty of excitement. This final round will leave no room for mistakes.