Underdog Bull Rider Beats Out Some Of Rodeo's Best For Pendleton Round-Up Win

Time is running out for rodeo athletes to earn their spot in the top 15 and take a trip to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). Bull rider Grady Young is taking advantage of every ride during this season in ProRodeo and he’s making a name for himself after winning the Pendleton Round-Up in Oregon over the weekend.

Biggest Win of the Season

It was the perfect rodeo weekend in Pendleton, Oregon, as riders took to the arena to prove they are the best of the best. What fans didn’t expect to see was an underdog bull rider come out on top against some of the most elite athletes in the game.

Bull riding closes out each night of the rodeo and the bar was set during round one by rookie cowboy John Crimber with 90 points on Four Star Rodeo's Dynamite. Young himself tied for the fourth-place spot with an 85.5-point ride, but that was enough to get him to the finals for another shot at victory.

The young cowboy took advantage of his second ride in Pendleton, and during the finals he pulled in with 89 points on Wayne Vold Rodeo's All Gold Rolex for $2,050. When it was all said and done, Young had landed on top of the leaderboard with 174.5 points on two head, pocketing over $12,00 for the weekend.

Bright Future Ahead

At No. 26 in the world, the win brought Young closer to surpassing the $100,000 mark during his second year in the PRCA. After finishing at No. 51 during his rookie season in 2025, Young got a taste for success. Despite not being close to the top 15 this season, it’s clear the cowboy is putting in the work to get better.

Young was up against some of bull riding's best, and beating them out at an iconic rodeo like Pendleton is no easy feat. Every cowboy he was up against is ahead of him in the world standings, and that just goes to show you don’t count any athlete out of the running for the NFR until time officially runs out.

With $98,503 earned so far this season, Young is nearly $40,000 outside of the top 15. With just over a week left in the regular season, it may seem like a trip to the Thomas & Mack Arena is out of his grasp. Despite that, he is still looking to make a name for himself as he’s found success multiple times this season and isn’t slowing down just yet.

Even if Young doesn’t secure an NFR qualification this year, a win at Pendleton will put his name on the map for years to come. Only time will tell what this cowboy will be able to do in the bull riding arena by the time the 2027 season begins.

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