CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) has officially announced the field of 54 rodeo athletes from across North America who will compete on Championship Saturday at Rodeo Corpus Christi (RCC) on May 10 at the American Bank Center. These athletes earned their positions in the Showdown Round by finishing in the top two of each progressive round or by ranking among the top four in the aggregate standings. To view the complete roster, please click HERE.

RCC will also serve as the final qualifying event for athletes aiming to compete in the groundbreaking Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo, presented by $VET. The top two finishers in each discipline at RCC will secure a spot on WCRA’s Free Riders, the sixth and final team set to compete at Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo on May 16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In addition to team selection, the Bull Riding Champion from RCC will earn a berth in the PBR World Finals Redemption Round, taking place May 16–17 in Fort Worth.

The Free Riders team will consist of two athletes per discipline, representing barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and breakaway roping. This high-energy, bracket-style team competition will feature Kid Rock live in concert and will kick off an action-packed weekend of Western sports that culminates with the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship on May 17–18 at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

Returning as the defending champions, the Free Riders will begin this year’s event as the No. 1 seed following their title win in 2024. With top competitors emerging from RCC, the Free Riders will be looking to reload their roster with the talent necessary to capture a second consecutive victory.

Bareback riders Blayn Hughston (McBain, Michigan) and Roedy Farrell (Thermopolis, Wyoming) have secured their spots in the Showdown Round of the after-standout performances in their respective rounds.

Hughston delivered a clutch performance aboard “Sure Bet” in Progressive Round 2, posting 83 points and earning $5,000 for his efforts while Farrell dominated Progressive Round One with the top score of 81.5. 

Cody Devers (Perrytown, Texas) and Levi Rudd (Chelsea, Oklahoma) each clinched advancement to the Showdown Round with dominant steer wrestling performances. Devers posted the fastest time of Progressive Round 1 at 6.00 seconds, earning $5,000 and a well-deserved spot in the next round. Rudd, who was a member of the 2024 Free Riders team following a third-place finish last year, continued to build on his momentum. He blazed through Progressive Round 2 with a swift 5.56-second run—earning the top spot and another $5,000 paycheck. 

Andrew Ward (Edmond, Oklahoma) and Jake Long (Morgan Mill, Texas) are headed to the Showdown Round after delivering strong performances in Team Roping. The duo showcased their consistency, winning the Wild Card round with a 6.04-second time and following up with a blazing 5.82-second run in Progressive Round 1—earning them a combined $7,500 and a secure place in the next round. Also advancing is the team of Billy Bob Brown (Carbon, Texas) and Trey Johnson (Weatherford, Texas), who topped Progressive Round 2 with a sharp 6.64-second run, taking home the $10,000 payout.

Joining them is the groundbreaking duo of Megan Gunter and Jimmi Jo Montera—the first all-women team roping team to ever compete at a WCRA open event. The historic team delivered runs of 8.61 seconds in Progressive Round 1 and 13.71 seconds in Round 2, securing the No. 4 spot in the aggregate standings and a place in the Showdown Round. 

Ira Dickinson (Rock Springs, WY) and Bailey Small each with standout rides in the Saddle Bronc, punched their tickets to the Showdown Round. Dickinson posted top marks, earning 83 points in both the Wild Card and Progressive Round 1, securing first place and a combined payout of $7,500. Bailey Small (Fall River Mills, California) made a bold statement in Progressive Round 2, marking an impressive 87 points aboard “Mountain Fever” to claim the round win and a $5,000 payday. 

Breakaway Ropers Martha Angelone (Stephenville, Texas) and Kieley Walz (Ainsworth, Nebraska) will have their chance to take home the $18,000 payday on Championship Saturday after each delivered the fastest time in their respective rounds. Angelone set the bar in Progressive Round 1 with a blistering 3.49-second run, claiming first place and a $5,000 payday. Walz followed suit in Progressive Round 2, roping her calf in just 3.53 seconds to top the round and match Angelone’s $5,000 prize. 

In Tie-Down Roping, Shad Mayfield and Jarvis Demery delivered commanding performances to advance to the Showdown Round. Mayfield posted the fastest time of Progressive Round 2 with a 9.63-second run, claiming the top spot and a $5,000 check. Demery, a 2024 Rodeo Corpus Christi Champion and former member of the 2024 Free Riders team, turned in the fastest run of Progressive Round 1 with a 9.67, earning and a return trip to the winner’s bracket. 

Alishea Broussard (Estherwood, Louisiana), who came into the event as an alternate, delivered a commanding performance in Barrel Racing aboard Friday Nite Fling, sweeping both Progressive Rounds to secure her place in the Showdown Round. Broussard clocked a 14.801 in Progressive Round 2—her fastest of the event—and a 15.108 in Progressive Round 1, earning $10,000 in total round winnings. She also picked up a third-place finish in the Wild Card round with a 15.153, adding another $611.11 to her impressive earnings. 

Clayton Sellars (Stephenville, Texas) and Joao Henrique Lucas (Whitesboro, Texas) each turned in top scores in Bull Riding to keep their championship hopes alive. Sellars delivered back-to-back high scores, notching 83.5 points in Progressive Round 1 to win the round and collect $5,000, after qualifying through the Wild Card with an identical score. His consistency and control atop “Spotted Barren” earned him advancement to the Showdown Round. Meanwhile, Lucas surged in Progressive Round 2, taking the top score of 83.5 aboard “Jail Break” and earning his own $5,000 payout. 

Fans can watch the final round of Rodeo Corpus Christi on the PBR App at 7 p.m. CDT. On May 10.

Additionally, the Kid Rock n Rodeo Round will air on CBS Sports Network on May 25 at Noon EDT.

Since its inception in May 2018, the WCRA and its partners have awarded more than $19.7 million in new money to rodeo athletes. For more information about the WCRA or how to get involved through the VRQ system, visit wcrarodeo.com.

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media/WCRA