Triumphant Victors Crowned in San Antonio

50 of the best cowboys and cowgirls faced off in San Antonio, Texas, for the last 18 days. The finals crowned new and repeat champions, awarding big paydays for many.

After 18 days and 19 performances, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo have come to a close. Cowboys and cowgirls use San Antonio as a building block for their race in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world championship race.

With San Antonio only taking 50 competitors in each discipline, the action was thrilling and the competition fierce.

In the bareback riding, it was the signature red shirt-wearing phenom, Rocker Steiner from Weatherford, Texas, taking the championship home. Steiner rode Top Notch from Pickett Pro Rodeo with chaps and fringe flying high. The showy 8-second ride was worth 89 points.  

Cole Reiner came out with a "never say die" attitude and topped Night Crawler from Pickett Pro Rodeo for 89 points to tie for the win of the finals.

Steiner had more money won coming into the finals, so the split grand prize of $12,500 for the young gun was enough to make him the San Antonio champion.

Rocker Steiner won the Bareback Riding Championship at the 2023 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo with 90 points on Yipee Kibitz from Calgary Stampede / FWSSR photo by James Phifer, courtesy PRCA

In the steer wrestling, Jacob Talley broke the barrier in his semifinal round to win third, so he had to make an appearance in the wildcard. On Saturday afternoon, he threw his steer in 4.2 seconds to split the wildcard round win with Grant Peterson. 

Talley had won more money coming into the wildcard, so he advanced to the finals. Lady Luck was on his side and had a whole bunch of skill when he stopped the clock in 3.7 seconds to win the finals and earn the San Antonio championship.

In the team roping, the Cinderella story team continues to quietly, yet confidently, gather championships. Coming off a long break to making the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2023, Colter Todd teamed up with the always great Derrick Begay for a 3.8-second run in the finals.  

Clint Summers and Jake Long matched the winning run of 3.8 to split the win. Both teams took home $12,500 each for their efforts in the finals.  

It was Begay and Todd who earned the most money over the course of the rodeo, where they will deposit a total of $22,250 toward the world standings. They will also be able to strap new buckles to their belts tomorrow morning as they are the 2024 champions.

Derrick Begay, left center, and Colter Todd, right center, left Las Vegas as the NFR average champions in 2023 and placed top in the world standings. They will compete at some of the major winter rodeos but haven't made any plans beyond that / PRCA photo by Roseanna Sales

The saddle bronc riding was a wait-and-see event as Dawson Hay was awarded a reride after his first draw drug his leg on the chute post on his first jump out of the chute. As it turned out, this Hay brother didn't have quite enough horse under him in the ride. What he did have, though, was a voice.  

No one was cheering louder than Dawson Hay when Logan Hay took his victory lap. Logan rode Calgary Stampede's Tokyo Bubbles for an 87.5-point score. It was a mere half point more than second-place finishers Mitch Pollock and Lefty Holman at 87.

That half a point was important as it allowed Logan to win the $15,000 paycheck and the championship title.

The tie-down roping was set to be a matchup between reigning world champion Riley Webb and Shad "Money" Mayfield. The pair were separated by only $250 coming into the final performance.

Webb was first out and drew a calf that took a hard left and was a little wild. He was eliminated from earning any money in the finals immediately. Mayfield continued his storybook season by absolutely taking charge and tying his calf in 7.2 seconds.  

The $15,000 paycheck brought "Money" Mayfield a total of $26,750 for the entire rodeo. According to the Pro Rodeo website, Mayfield now has $78,370 in yearly earnings, which is more than $50,000 ahead of the next closest tie-down roper.

Shad Mayfield at the 2023 NFR / Hillary Maybery for SI Rodeo Daily

The barrel racers stepped up the game and ran some of the fastest times of the entire rodeo in the finals. Last out for the evening was Dublin, Texas, resident Kassie Mowry. She was also the fastest cowgirl of the entire rodeo.

Mowry made a horse change in the semifinals after riding her big grey CP He Will Be Epic, "Will," in the long rounds. Mowry said after riding Will at home one day, she didn't feel like he was at his best, so she brought Famous Ladies Man, "Emmett," to the semifinals, and well, the rest will go down in the history books.

Mowry will boast of being a back-to-back champion at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

Kassie Mowry at the 2023 NFR / Hillary Maybery for SI Rodeo Daily

The bull riders wowed the crowd with great rides and big scores. Clayton Sellars aboard Cervi Championship Rodeo's Yellowstone banked 90.5 points along with $15,000 for the finals win and, in total, $27,083. The win boosted Sellars to number three in the world standings.  

The ladies of the breakaway have certainly put on a show the entire rodeo, and all day Saturday, they were stellar. In the wildcard, Danielle Lowman was a smoking fast 1.6, followed by Jackie Crawford at 1.7. Cassidy Boggs gave it her best shot and was a 1.8, with the top four being rounded out by McKenna Hickson at 1.9.

In the finals, the ladies backed in the box, knowing they had to be fast, and fast they were. The phenom from Arizona, Danielle Lowman, has been on fire every time she nods her head. She repeated her 1.6 run from the wildcard in the finals and took the win. The $15,000 payday brought Lowman's total to an amazing $22,500.

The cowboys and cowgirls will now be making their way to Houston for Rodeo Houston, which will start on Tuesday, Feb. 27.