Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo to launch biggest weekend in Western sports, followed by the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship May 18-19.
03/12/2024
ARLINGTON, Texas – Ahead of the debut of Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo in Arlington, Texas, on May 17, the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) and Kid Rock today announced the star-studded lineup of rodeo royalty who will form five of the six competing rosters in the landmark $1-million team rodeo event.
The drafted athletes include the most talented athletes to ever compete on dirt. Collectively they have earned 54 World Championships in the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) and WPRA (Women's Professional Rodeo Association), 39 aggregate wins and more than 400 qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), while amassing more than $89 million in career earnings.
Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo is a reimagined rodeo produced by PBR in partnership with Kid Rock. Six teams, each led by a legendary rodeo head coach, will compete head-to-head in bracket-style competition at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on May 17 for a $1 million purse. Within the new $1-million team-formatted rodeo, Kid Rock will perform live in concert.
The rosters for the teams are:
Bareback Riding: Kade Sonnier and Tim O’Connell Barrel Racing: Stevi Hillman and Tessa Arnold
Breakaway Roping: Sarah Angelone and Shelby Boisjoli-Meged
Saddle Bronc Riding: Gus Gaillard and Layton Green
Steer Wrestling: Jesse Brown and JD Struxness
Tie-Down Roping: Riley Webb and Ty Harris
Team Roping: Dustin Egusquiza (Header)/Levi Lord (Heeler) and Clay Smith (Header)/Coleby Payne (Heeler)
The Convoy and Sledge Hammers made noise following the draft, executing the first, and only, athlete trade for the Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo. Convoy initially selected Shad Mayfield third overall and traded him to the Sledge Hammers for Webb, the fifteenth overall selection.
Tie-down roper Webb is one of two reigning World Champions on the Convoy, joined by 2023 breakaway roping title holder Boisjoli-Meged. The team has earned a combined eight world titles, including 2022 WPRA All-Around Champion Angelone who was selected fourth overall by the team in the draft, and the only breakaway athlete selected in the first 37 picks.
Bareback Riding: Rocker Steiner and Jesse Pope
Barrel Racing: Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi and Steely Steiner
Breakaway Roping: Cheyanne McCartney and Jordi Edens
Saddle Bronc Riding: Brody Cress and Wyatt Casper
Steer Wrestling: Dirk Tavenner and Dakota Eldridge
Tie-Down Roping: Haven Meged and Shane Hanchey
Team Roping: Derrick Begay (Header)/Cory Petska (Heeler) and Erich Rogers (Header)/Paul Eaves (Heeler)
Under the leadership of Head Coach Steiner, the Jokers began the Kid Rock N Rodeo draft with a bang, making quick trades with the Misty Mountain Hop to obtain the No. 1 selection. With the pick, Steiner drafted his son, two-time NFR qualifying bareback rider Rocker Steiner. Making it a family affair, later in the draft, Steiner completed his barrel-racing lineup by drafting his daughter Steely Steiner.
The Jokers feature three-time and reigning World Champion barrel racer Pozzi Tonozzi. The contingent leads the five assembled teams in NFR qualifications with a commanding 117 appearances at the prestigious rodeo event, of which they have won the aggregate 18 times.
Bareback Riding: Leighton Berry and Jacob Lees
Barrel Racing: Sherry Cervi and Amanda Welsh
Breakaway Roping: Martha Angelone and Kelsie Chace Domer
Saddle Bronc Riding: Sage Newman and Kade Bruno
Steer Wrestling: Tyler Pearson and Kyle Irwin
Tie-Down Roping: Tuf Cooper and Cory Solomon
Team Roping: Clint Summers (Header)/Jake Long (Heeler) and Cody Snow (Header)/Hunter Koch (Heeler)
Anchored by veteran contenders and four-time World Champions Cervi in barrel racing, the draft’s ninth overall pick, and Cooper, the draft’s 19th overall pick, in tie-down roping, the Low Riders have been a consistent presence at the NFR, with a combined 94 qualifications and six aggregate wins.
Bareback Riding: Cole Reiner and Mason Clements
Barrel Racing: Wenda Johnson and LaTricia Duke
Breakaway Roping: Danielle Lowman and Jordan Hollabaugh
Saddle Bronc Riding: Statler Wright and Lefty Holman
Steer Wrestling: Tyler Waguespack and Stetson Jorgensen
Tie-Down Roping: Caleb Smidt and Westyn Hughes
Team Roping: Kaleb Driggers (Header)/Junior Nogueira (Heeler) and Tyler Wade (Header)/Wesley Thorp (Heeler)
Before the draft began, Head Coach James and Assistant Coach McKee made key trades with the Convoy and Jokers that allowed them to select more than half of their roster within the first 22 picks of the draft, building one of the event’s strongest rosters. With their early picks, they first selected five-time World Champion steer wrestler Waguespack eighth overall, followed by four-time NFR qualifying barrel racer Johnson tenth overall.
Those moves allowed them to assemble a roster that boasts 17 World Championships, including 2023 title holders Waguespack, and the team roping duo of Wade and Thorp, eight NFR aggregate wins, and 79 NFR qualifications.
Bareback Riding: Taylor Broussard and Tanner Aus
Barrel Racing: Stephanie Fryar and Ashley Castleberry
Breakaway Roping: Maddy Deerman and Taylor Munsell
Saddle Bronc Riding: Dawson Hay and Logan Hay
Steer Wrestling: Dalton Massey and Justin Shaffer
Tie-Down Roping: John Douch and Shad Mayfield
Team Roping: Coleman Proctor (Header)/Logan Medlin (Heeler) and Tanner Tomlinson (Header)/Patrick Smith (Heeler)
Whitfield and Pederson’s Sledge Hammers are anchored by World Champion Mayfield, alongside the team’s first selection in three-time NFR qualifying tie-down roper Douch. Like the Jokers, the Sledgehammers also have sibling competitors with Dawson and Logan Hay. With more than 50 NFR qualifications and four aggregate wins across the drafted athletes, the Sledge Hammers have assembled a young roster ready to make waves.
The final team for Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo, the Free Riders, led by Head Coach Bobby Mote and Assistant Coach Linsay Rosser-Sumpter, will be formed following conclusion of the WCRA’s (World Champions Rodeo Alliance) Rodeo Corpus Christi on May 11 in Corpus Christi, Texas. The top two finishers in each discipline at the event, not already selected by a team, will join the Free Riders. For more information on Rodeo Corpus Christi, visit wcrarodeo.com.
Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo will begin on Friday, May 17 at 7:45 p.m. CT inside AT&T Stadium. When the dust settles on the historic event, the famed venue will then host the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast Championship on Saturday, May 18 at 7:45 p.m. CT and Sunday, May 19 at 1:45 p.m. CT, when the 2024 PBR World Champion will be crowned, earning the accompanying $1 million bonus and coveted gold buckle.
Single-day tickets for both Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo and PBR World Finals – Championship are on-sale now. They can be purchased online at ATTStadium.com, SeatGeek.com, KidRockNRodeo.com and PBR.com/WorldFinals, or by phone at 1-800-732-1727.
The PBR World Finals – Championship will mark the final portion of the reimagined World Finals format debuting in 2024, with bull riding’s most prestigious event now featuring 10 rounds of action split across two venues in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in a playoff-type format.
The 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast will get underway in Fort Worth with the four-day Eliminations on May 9-12, followed by thetwo-day Ride for Redemption on May 15-16, inside the intimate confines of Cowtown Coliseum, before concluding inside AT&T Stadium on May 18-19.
The dramatic World Finals – Eliminations format, which will open PBR’s biggest event in its smallest venue, will be complemented by a myriad of enhanced fan experiences, in addition to tickets to the coveted event at Cowtown Coliseum. Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, the popular restaurant in Mule Alley from Chef Tim Love, will host daily hospitality and entertainment from famed musicians including GRAMMY Award winning Brothers Osborne, renowned Texas country artist Stoney LaRue, and alt-country, rock and roll soul group 49 Winchester. Information on the special entertainment-rich packages is at PBR.com/WorldFinals.
Stay tuned to PBR.com for the latest news and results and be sure to follow the sport on all social media platforms at @PBR.