Afton twins win team roping title at JNFR
The 10th Annual YETI Junior National Finals Rodeo (JNFR) was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas Dec. 4-13, 2025.
Twin brothers Ryder and Case Kerr of Afton took home a world title in the #10.5 Team Roping, besting 21 other teams of top young rodeo talent in the nation to clinch the first-place finish.
The Kerrs were the only duo to catch all five head during the event. With Ryder on the heading side and Case on the heels, they won the event average with a total time of 51.29 seconds.
Winning the world
From the small town of Afton to the bright lights of Las Vegas, the Kerrs knew they had a job to finish when they entered the arena.
The 18-year-old twins have been roping together all their lives.
Their father, Hank Kerr, was a pickup man throughout their childhood, so they spent a lot of time roping in rodeos and sharpening their skills while growing up.
The brothers entered the final round of the JNFR #10.5 Team Roping on Dec. 11, 2025 with four qualified runs under their belt and an ultimate goal in mind, which they quickly accomplished.
After turning their final steer in 7.23 seconds – their fastest run of the week – the world championship was officially theirs.
The brothers won JNFR World Championship saddles
and buckles, rope bags, riding gear, YETI coolers, travel mugs and checks worth $6,200 apiece.
Case added to his accolades again just days later, winning the Open Team Roping in partnership with Kash Cook of Idaho Falls, Idaho to take the title.
The pair had previously roped together in jackpots throughout Wyoming and Idaho, according to a Dec. 30, 2025 Casper Star Tribune article by Jack Nowlin.
Wyoming champions
According to the same Casper Star Tribune article, the Kerrs were not the only Wyoming contestants to have a good run at the 2025 JNFR.
Klancy Cornelison of Evanston won the average at the Junior Roughstock Association’s Junior Bareback Finals with 215.5 points on three head, highlighted by a 75.5-point ride in the short round.
The 12-year-old seventh-grader told the Casper Star Tribune the win was extra special since it was his first time landing a first-place finish.
“This feels amazing because I’ve got second and third other times, but this is my first time winning,” Klancy stated Nowlin. “I might just keep the buckle in the case because I don’t want to ruin it.”
Klancy’s brother, 15-year-old Kroyden Cornelison, finished second in the average in the senior bareback division.
The Evanston high school freshman was competing in Vegas for the fourth time and won the final round short go with an 81-point ride – the highest score of the week.
“Rodeo’s Next Up”
The YETI JNFR was founded in 2015. Each year, it draws hundreds of contestants from across the nation for 10 days of competition showcasing “Rodeo’s Next Up” – the next generation of rodeo talent.
Competitors from the age of eight to 19 compete for world titles and their slice of a combined payout amounting to over $1 million in cash and other prizes, including saddles, gear and Montana Silversmiths championship buckles.
To earn their shot at contending in Vegas, contestants compete in qualifiers for classic rodeo events including team roping, tie-down roping, barrel racing, steer wrestling, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Breakaway roping and pole bending are also included at the JNFR.
In addition to title sponsor YETI, the JNFR is made possible through the contributions of a host of sponsors including Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Nutrena, Priefert, Classic Equine, Cavender’s, the Cowboy Channel and many more.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
