The 2026 College National Finals Rodeo held from June 14-20 in Casper, Wyoming, inside the Ford Wyoming Center brought collegiate athletes from across the country to battle it out for national and team championships.
A total of 427 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association athletes from colleges and universities across the country have gathered in Wyoming for the weeklong CNFR which culminates with the crowning of the 2026 national champions on Saturday, June 20.
Top athletes from 12 geographic regions compete in three rounds of competition. The top 12 cumulative scores or times advance to Championship Saturday to vie for national championships.
The first round of competition began with Bulls, Broncs and Breakaway on Sunday while the other five events will be held on Monday; then the second round of competition will finish on Tuesday afternoon. Round three is spread over four rodeo performances beginning Tuesday evening and running through Friday evening.
Complete results are available at www.cnfr.com.
Acey Pinkston Wins Round One at CNFR
CASPER, WYOMING, (JUNE 15, 2026) — Reigning national champion barrel racer Acey Pinkston took her first step toward back-to-back College National Finals Rodeo titles on Tuesday. She was the first athlete to compete when action began at 7 a.m. Riding her 13-year-old gelding Streakinfrenchbullet (French Streaktovegas x Lonesome Buck Bar x Sunnys Buck Bar) whom she calls “Bullet,” the Weatherford College senior stopped the clock in 13.62 seconds. The closest any other cowgirl could come to her time was 13.77 seconds by Devin Young of Texas A&M University.
Pinkston started last year’s CNFR by winning the first round. After starting 2026 in the same way, she’s a step closer to a repeat title. She is ranked 23rd in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association and is on a quest to qualify for her first National Finals Rodeo.
Devin Young Wins Round Two, Round Three; Leads Average
Devin Young and her 2014 sorrel gelding Jettin To Docs Bar (Rosey Joe Doc x Jettin In Rosebuds x Rosebuds Boy Cody) took home the CNFR Round Two win with a time of 13.81. Then followed that up with a third round time of 13.62 to take the lead in the round and the average.
The college freshman and her American Rodeo qualifying mount came into the CNFR ranked sixth in the barrel racing in the Southern Region, as a member of the No. 1 ranked Women’s Team at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. So far, Young shares the fastest time of the rodeo with Pinkston — who did so in Round One for the round win — with a 13.62.
Round Three is spread over four rodeo performances beginning Tuesday evening and running through Friday evening, followed by the championship round on Saturday.
When it was all said and done, Young held on to the Round Three win and keeps hold of the average lead heading into the short round.
Ceily Simpton and Twist Off Fame Top Short Round
Ceily Simpton and Twist Off Fame topped the College National Finals Rodeo Short Round with a time of 13.71 to ultimately help her Texas A&M University team claim the Women’s Team title. Simpton finished third in the average with a time of 55.85.
Twist Off Fame is a home raised 2014 palomino by Famous Bugs out of Corkscrew Kitty, by Fire Water Flit, and has helped Simpton earn multiple wins across youth, amateur, open and collegiate competition.
Devin Young Wins CNFR Championship; CNFR Rookie of the Year
The women’s barrel racing championship was claimed by a Texas A&M Aggie who was consistent enough throughout the competition to place in every round, including two round wins to ultimately win the title. Devin Young, a freshman from Smithville, Texas, who plans to go to pharmacy school, had a total time of 55.0 seconds on four runs. Young also helped carry the Aggies to the Women’s Team championship and was named Women’s Rookie of the Year.
Her 2014 sorrel gelding Jettin To Docs Bar (Rosey Joe Doc x Jettin In Rosebuds x Rosebuds Boy Cody) also claimed the CNFR Women’s American Quarter Horse Association Horse of the Year title. Jettin To Docs Bar helped Young win Round Two and Round Three, place second in the first round and second in the short round to ultimately claim the CNFR Average title and become the 2026 NIRA CNFR Barrel Racing Champion.
CNFR Barrel Racing Results
Complete results are available at www.cnfr.com.
Round One: 1) Acey Pinkston/Weatherford College/13.62 seconds. 2) Devin Young/Texas A&M University/13.77. 3) -tie) Anneliese McCurry/Montana State University, and Addison Morgan/Texas Tech University/13.89 each. 5) Lauryn Motley/Sam Houston State University/13.99. 6) -tie) Piper Cordes/Montana State University, and Brylee Grubb/Gillette College/14.00 each. 8) Raegan Chance/Northwest Mississippi Community College/14.01.
Round Two: 1) Devin Young/Texas A&M University/13.81. 2) Acey Pinkston/Weatherford College/13.83. 3) Adyson Wright/Treasure Valley Community College/13.84. 4) -tie) Morgan Addison/Texas Tech University and Emma Ricke/Oklahoma State University/13.88. 6) -tie) Raegen Chance/Northwest Mississippi Community College and Alissa Flores/Sam Houston State University/13.90. 8) -tie) Ceily Simpton/Texas A&M University and Natalia Ramirez/Southwest Texas College/13.94.
Round Three: 1) Devin Young/Texas A&M University/13.62 seconds. 2) Madison Murphy/University of West Alabama/13.65. 3) Baylee O’Leary/Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College/13.66. 4) Morgan Addison/Texas Tech University/13.73. 5) Molly Harper/Odessa College (Texas)/13.86. 6) McKinlee Paschal/Texas A&M University/13.89. 7) Acey Pinkston/Weatherford College (Texas)/13.91. 8) Jada Trosper/Oklahoma State University/13.93.
Finals qualifiers: 1) Young/41.20 seconds. 2) Pinkston/41.36. 3) Addison/41.50. 4) Raegan Chance/Northwest Mississippi Community College/41.85. 5) Brylee Grubb/Gillette College/42.03. 6) McKinlee Paschal/Texas A&M University/42.07. 7) Emma Ricke/Southeastern Oklahoma State University/42.11. 8) Ceily Simpton/Texas A&M University/42.14. 9) Anneliese McCurry/Montana State University/42.56. 10) O’Leary/42.20. 11) Harper/42.23. 12) Lauryn Motley/Sam Houston State University/42.36
Short Round: 1) Ceily Simpton/Texas A&M/13.71 seconds. 2) Devin Young/Texas A&M/13.80. 3) Raegen Chance/Northwest Mississippi Community College/13.87. 4) McKinlee Paschal/Texas A&M/13.91.
Average (total on 4): 1) Devin Young/55.00. 2) Raegen Chance/55.72. 3) Ceily Simpton/55.85. 4) McKinlee Paschal/55.98. 5) Brylee Grubb/Gillette College/56.01. 6) Molly Harper/Odessa College (Texas)/56.21. 7) Lauryn Motley/Sam Houston State University (Texas)/56.29. 8) Baylee O’Leary/Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College/56.29.
2026 COLLEGE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO CHAMPIONS
(times and scores are total on four)
Barrel Racing – Devin Young, Texas A&M University, 55.00 seconds
Bareback – (tie) Kooper Heimburg Missouri Valley College, 326.5 points
Carson Hildre, Clarendon College (Texas) 326.5 points
Daxtyn Feild, Tarleton State University (Texas) 326.5 points
Tie-Down Roping – Tyler Hansen, Bismarck State College, 38.3 seconds
Breakaway Roping – Jessi Everett, Texas Tech University, 9.9 seconds
Saddle Bronc Riding – Tagg Bond, Clarendon College (Texas), 340 points
Steer Wrestling – Andrew Morian, Clarendon College (Texas), 17.1 seconds
Goat Tying – Josie Mousel, University of Wyoming, 24.4 seconds
Team Roping – Marcus Marriott, Blue Mountain Community College (Oregon), and
Sam Saunders, Treasure Valley Community College (Oregon), 23.1 seconds
Bull Riding – Hayden Welsh, Odessa College (Texas), 251.75 points on three
Men’s All-Around – Tyler Hansen, Bismarck State College, 310 points
Women’s All-Around – Josie Mousel, University of Wyoming, 395 points
Men’s Team – Clarendon College (Texas), 1,100 points
Women’s Team – Texas A&M University, 692.5 points
Men’s Rookie – Tagg Bond, Clarendon College (Texas), 400 points
Women’s Rookie – Devin Young, Texas A&M University, 380 points
Men’s AQHA Horse of the Year – C A Breeze owned by Emmett Edler, Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Women’s AQHA Horse of the Year – Jettin to Docs Bar owned by Devin Young, Texas A&M University
