The 2026 rodeo season is heating up for athletes across the country as the summer rodeos hold big chances to pocket some hefty cash. Cowboys and cowgirls took over Greeley, Colorado from June 25th to July 1st at the Greeley Stampede and performances didn’t disappoint for those who landed on top.
Rough Stock Riders
Keenan Hayes set the pace in bareback riding as he came into the arena with something to prove. Sitting at No. 5 in the world standings, he pulled in second place in both the first (87 points) and final round (88 points).
While it wasn’t the top score, as Cole Franks bested him in round one with 87.5 points and Colt Eck in the finals with an 89-point ride, his consistency landed him the overall win and a check for $4,872.
Leon Fountain may sit at No. 41 in the saddle bronc world standings but that meant nothing for his performance in Greeley. In the average, the cowboy bested two top 10 athletes (Lefty Holman and Damian Brennan) and came out with the win thanks to his score of 173.5 points on two heads. The rides earned him $5,087 pushing him up in the overall leaderboard…