Wrangler National Finals Rodeo: Night Two Recap

Last night was the second night of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, presented by Teton Ridge. Here are the standings after round two.

Night two of the 2025 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge has finished, and after the chaos, fireworks, and questionable life choices displayed in night one, the cowboys are back for more. The top 15 money earners of the 2025 season are settling into Vegas mode, which basically means trying to stay focused while the arena, the fans, and the broncs all scream, “Do it again!”

Round one set the bar high. We saw sparks, swagger, and at least a couple of rides that made the crowd gasp loud enough to scare the beer vendors. The scores were stout, the competition was fierce, and a few contestants woke up this morning discovering muscles they didn’t know existed… mostly because those muscles are now mad at them.

As we finish night two, here are your updated standings and earnings, because at the NFR, the only thing hotter than the arena dirt is the battle for those bragging-rights dollars (and yes, probably another new hat). Here’s who turned up the heat tonight.

Bareback Riding

Night two of bareback riding felt like the horses showed up with even more attitude and maybe a touch of Las Vegas chaos in their veins. The broncs were launching cowboys like they were trying to start a space program, and the riders were hanging on with sheer grit, athleticism, and possibly some last-minute prayers whispered in the chutes. A few cowboys looked solid, a few got yeeted into new time zones, and at least one landed wondering if their spine was still in alphabetical order. Night two did not come to play.

Steer Wrestling

Night two of steer wrestling looked like the steers attended a motivational seminar titled “You Don’t Have to Be Caught If You Believe in Yourself.” The bulldoggers came flying off their horses with full superhero confidence, only to realize these steers had wheels, opinions, and absolutely no plans of cooperating. Some runs were lightning fast, some turned into unexpected cardio sessions, and at least one steer strutted out of the arena looking like he should be signing autographs.

Team Roping

Night two of team roping brought the heat, the hustle, and a few loops that probably made the cowboys want a do-over button. The headers were throwing ropes like they were late for something, the heelers were snapping up feet with ninja-level precision, and the steers… well, the steers were feeling extra wiggly and uncooperative, like toddlers who skipped nap time. Some teams nailed it, some teams chased “almost,” and more than one steer definitely left the arena feeling like it deserved a medal for evasive maneuvers.

Saddle Bronc Riding

Night two of saddle bronc riding looked like the horses all agreed backstage to crank the chaos dial up a notch. The broncs came out kicking, twisting, and expressing their feelings VERY dramatically, while the cowboys tried their best to look stylish during what was essentially an eight-second trust fall with no one to catch them. Some rides were picture-perfect poetry, while others were “blink and he’s airborne.”

Tie-Down Roping

Night two of tie-down roping was basically a high-speed blur of horses stopping on a dime, ropes flying with laser precision, and cowboys hitting the ground faster than your phone when you forget you set it on your lap. The calves were feeling spicy, zig-zagging like they had a dinner reservation, while the ropers were doing their best “oh no you don’t” sprint down the line.

Barrel Racing

Night two of barrel racing came in hot, and by hot, I mean horses were turning barrels so tight they practically needed a physics waiver. The riders were locked in, leaning so far they could’ve checked the dirt for loose change, while the horses fired around the pattern like they had somewhere much more important to be. Some runs were silky smooth, some were “hold on and hope,” and at least one barrel got bullied so hard it’s probably filing a complaint.

Bull Riding

Night two of bull riding was pure chaos wrapped in eight seconds of “why do they do this voluntarily?” energy. The bulls showed up acting like they’d spent the whole day plotting revenge, tossing riders with the enthusiasm of a toddler flinging toys. A couple cowboys stuck rides that deserved their own action movie soundtrack, a few took impressive aerial tours of the arena, and at least one guy hit the dirt so hard he probably woke up with a new personality.

 

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What will happen in round three?