2026 CNFR: Wyoming athletes set to compete at college rodeo finals
From June 14-20, the top collegiate rodeo athletes from across the nation will gather in Casper to compete at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), held annually at the Ford Wyoming Center.
The top three athletes in each event from each region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) at the end of the regular season qualify for the CNFR, as well as athletes from the top performing men’s and women’s teams.
This year, the Cowboy State will send an impressive lineup of collegiate talent to the CNFR, with 36 athletes representing five Wyoming colleges slated to impress throughout the weeklong showcase.
Cowboys sweep competition
The University of Wyoming (UW) Rodeo Team dominated the 2025-26 rodeo season, concluding the season as the top women’s and men’s teams and sending 16 athletes to the CNFR.
Traven Sharon of Ordway, Colo. finished as the regular season all-around cowboy for the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) and will be representing UW in the saddle bronc riding and tie-down roping at the CNFR.
On the rough stock side, Colton Farrow of Greybull will compete in the bareback riding, and Aidan Sawyer of Sheridan will represent UW in the bull riding.
For timed events, Tate Talkington of Scottsbluff, Neb.; Treg Thorstenson of Lantry, S.D. and Rio Nutter of Rapid City, S.D. all qualified in the tie-down roping.
Thorstenson and Nutter will also compete in the team roping, along with fellow UW Rodeo Athletes Kash Reynolds of Rozet and Roan Weil and Rowdy Weil, both of Kersey, Colo.
Three UW Cowboys qualified in the steer wrestling, including Jacob Wang of Baker, Mont.; Samuel Gallagher of Brighton, Colo. and Thayne Kimbrough of Ohiowa, Neb.
The UW Women’s Rodeo Team is also set for an impressive showing in Casper, with four UW Cowgirls currently preparing for the CNFR.
Makenzi Scott of Rock Springs will compete in the barrel racing, while Olivia Lay of Elbert, Colo. and Josie Mousel of Colman, S.D. will compete in the breakaway roping.
Mousel will also compete in the goat tying, along with Layni Stevens of St. Lawrence, S.D.
Wyoming winners
Athletes from Sheridan College, Gillette College, Laramie County Community College (LCCC) and Central Wyoming College (CWC) will also make their mark at the 2026 CNFR.
Jake Schlattmann of Greybull, Lonnie Dunn of Big River, Saskatchewan, Canada, Taiten Eaton of St. Onge, S.D. and Christopher Nelson of Lake Andes, S.D. will represent Sheridan College in the saddle bronc riding, while CWC’s Eian Smith of Pinedale and Sheridan College’s Reece Reder of Belle Fourche, S.D. will compete in the bareback riding.
Rounding out the CRMR’s rough stock qualifiers are LCCC’s Kahl Wasilow of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada and CWC’s Colton Clymer of Loveland, Colo., who will both compete in the bull riding.
On the timed events side, Drew Harper of Faith, S.D.; Cam Johnson of Buffalo and Jess Harper of Faith, S.D. will represent Gillette College in the team roping, along with Sheridan College’s Tyon Arneson of Enning, S.D. and CWC’s Cael Epenscheid of Big Piney.
Brylee Grubb of Spearfish, S.D. finished the regular season as the CRMR’s all-around cowgirl and will represent Gillette College in the barrel racing and goat tying.
Caitlin Moore of Wright will also represent Gillette College in the goat tying, and in the breakaway roping, Kaeley Hutchison of Rozet and Staheli Adams of Cedar City, Utah will represent Gillette College; Rayna Billingsley of Phoenix, Ariz. and Kaitlyn Idler of Laramie will represent LCCC and Sierra Hilgenkamp of Wall, S.D. will represent Sheridan College.
The 2026 CNFR kicks off with the Bulls, Broncs and Breakaway Matinee performance on June 14 and concludes with the Championship Round on June 20.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
