120th National Western Stock Show: NWSS wraps up with Wyoming Day, record-breaking sale and tough rodeo competition
After two whirlwind weeks of competitive livestock shows, thrilling entertainment and tough rodeo competition, the 120th National Western Stock Show (NWSS) officially wrapped up in Denver on the weekend of Jan. 23-25.
Some highlights from the last weekend of “The Best 16 Days in January” included the Auction of Junior Champions, Wyoming Day and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rodeo Finals.
Livestock shows, auction breaks records
In the inaugural year of exhibiting livestock in the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center – the largest agriculture building in the U.S. bearing the name of a woman – female junior exhibitors swept grand and reserve honors across all four livestock species.
Cannon Reimann of Ree Heights, S.D. exhibited the Grand Champion Market Steer, followed by Hadlie Bell of Bristow, Okla. in reserve.
The Grand Champion Market Hog was shown by Maria Frash of Attica, Ind., and the reserve hog was shown by Bailey Stromberger of Illiff, Colo.
Sayde Allen of Elk City, Okla. had an impressive showing at the 2026 NWSS, taking home honors with both the Grand Champion Market Lamb and Grand Champion Market Goat.
In the Junior Market Lamb Show, Allen was followed by Delaniee Moore of Canute, Okla. in reserve, and in the Junior Goat Show, Dayton Mortvedt of Lynnville, Iowa claimed the reserve champion slot.
This year, NWSS also held the inaugural Junior Supreme Heifer Drive – the only show of its kind – and Kaylee Langford of Breckenridge, Texas topped the leaderboard with her Angus heifer.
NWSS livestock shows wrapped up with a sold-out, record-breaking Auction of Junior Champions in the new CoBank Auction Area inside of “The Sue” on the evening of Jan. 23.
According to sale organizers, 750,039 people were in attendance, topping the record of 726,972 previously set in 2006.
With World Champion Auctioneer John Cory at the helm, the sale shattered multiple records, fetching a record-breaking total of $1.8 million across 98 animals, which is the highest total in stock show history.
The top eight champion animals sold for a collective $822,500, besting the record set last year by a whopping $185,000.
Reimann set a new record herself, bringing $320,000 with her champion steer, which was purchased by the Bank of Colorado and smashed the record of $210,000 set in 2025.
Bell’s reserve champion steer tied the previous record, selling for $125,000 to Ames Construction Company.
Stromberger sold the reserve champion hog to Transwest Trucks, Inc. for a record $120,000, while Mortvedt’s reserve champion goat brought a record $32,500, purchased by Bruce and Bev Wagner.
Both the grand and reserve champion lambs also fetched record-breaking numbers, respectively selling for $55,000 to TMK Foundation and $50,000 to APC Resources.
NWSS celebrates the Cowboy State
On Jan. 24, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) celebrated Wyoming Day at the NWSS.
Representatives of the Cowboy State bussed from Cheyenne to Denver for a full-day’s agenda at the stock show.
The day included a luncheon at the National Western Club, plenty of time to tour the stockyards and visit vendors and tickets to the Wyoming Day Rodeo.
During the rodeo, Gov. Mark Gordon, First Lady Jennie Gordon and honorary members of WSGA – including Executive Vice President Jim Magagna and President Reg Phillips – made an appearance between events in the official NWSS wagon pulled by the Broken Spoke Cyldesdale six-horse hitch.
The day finished off with dinner at Nordy’s Barbecue and Grill in Loveland, Colo.
Rodeo champions crowned
On Jan. 25, the NWSS officially wrapped up with the PRCA Rodeo Finals, where top-notch competitors were crowned champion.
Collegiate Cowboy Cooper Filipek of Rapid City, S.D. earned his first major professional rodeo win, scoring 85.5 points in the final round of bareback riding. He earned a total $7,380 in the Denver Coliseum during the stock show.
Mike McGinn of Haines, Ore. was the champion steer wrestler, posting 3.6 seconds in the final round and earning $9,302 on the week.
The fast time in the team roping went to Texas duo Tanner Tomlinson of Lipan, Texas and Coleby Payne of Stephenville, Texas. The team stopped the clock in 3.5 seconds to tie the arena record and brought in total earnings of $12,629.
With an 89.5-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s R. Watson’s Prairie Fire, Parker Fleet of Axtell, Texas earned the saddle bronc riding title and a total of $8,316 on the week.
The championship title in the tie-down roping went to San Angelo, Texas Cowboy Dylan Hancock who posted a 7.1-second run in the final round. He earned a total of $9,268 in Denver.
In the barrel racing, Heidi Gunderson of Murdock, Minn. stopped the clock at 14.91 seconds to take the championship title.
Rounding out the champions was Stetson Wright of Beaver, Utah, who earned his first championship title riding bulls in the Denver Coliseum, scoring 90 points on Vitalix Ringling Road. Over the course of the week, Wright earned $17,196.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
