10/13/2026
EIGHT GOLD BUCKLES. FIVE ROUNDS. ONE CANADIAN FINALS RODEO. 🇨🇦🏆
The 2026 Canadian Finals Rodeo is officially in the books, and Edmonton delivered a championship weekend worth remembering.
Five rounds of competition at Rogers Place brought together Canada's best rodeo athletes, with eight championship titles on the line. From dominant performances and repeat champions to first-time gold buckles and a comeback from seventh place, this year's CFR had a little bit of everything.
Here's how Canada's newest champions earned their place at the top.
BA****CK RIDING | ORIN LARSEN 🏆
Orin Larsen came into Edmonton leading the standings and made sure he left the same way, securing his second career CFR Championship and first since 2019.
Larsen collected a check in all five rounds, won Rounds 1 and 4, and claimed the aggregate with 428.5 points on five head. His efforts earned him $58,534.59 at the Finals, pushing his season total to $110,011.26 and giving him a commanding $33,000-plus advantage in the final standings.
After finishing 17th in the PRCA World Standings and missing an NFR qualification by roughly $20,000, Larsen still found himself ending the season with a gold buckle.
STEER WRESTLING | SCOTT GUENTHNER 🏆
Sometimes the work you put in throughout the regular season makes all the difference.
Scott Guenthner entered the CFR with a $30,000 lead, the largest of any competitor across all eight events, and that cushion proved invaluable.
Despite collecting just one round check and earning $12,532.59 in Edmonton, Guenthner's fourth-place aggregate finish helped him hold off Landon Beardsworth and Ryan Shuckburgh, who each earned more than three times his Finals payout.
The result? A sixth career CFR Steer Wrestling Championship and his third set of back-to-back titles in the last eight Canadian Finals Rodeos.
BREAKAWAY ROPING | BRADI WHITESIDE 🏆
A no-time in Round 1? No problem for Bradi Whiteside.
The defending champion responded by winning EVERY remaining round, sweeping Rounds 2 through 5 and stopping the clock at 2.0 seconds or faster in three of those runs.
Her quickest time came in Round 3 with a 1.8-second run, and her combined 7.8 seconds on four secured the aggregate championship.
Whiteside banked $37,730 at the Finals, bringing her season earnings to $80,287.61 and finishing more than $32,000 ahead of runner-up Jenna Dallyn.
That's two consecutive CFR Breakaway Roping Championships for Whiteside.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING | BEN ANDERSEN 🏆
For the first time since 2018, someone other than Zeke Thurston is Canada's Saddle Bronc Champion.
Ben Andersen delivered one of the most impressive performances of the entire Finals, cashing checks in all five rounds without finishing worse than third.
Andersen won Rounds 2 and 3, highlighted by an 89.5-point ride aboard Yule Rodeo's Mary Lou. He also captured the aggregate with 438.75 points on five, edging Thurston's 433.75.
Entering Edmonton fourth in the standings, Andersen earned an event-leading $62,957.86 to bring his season total to $118,895.47, finishing less than $4,000 ahead of Thurston.
It's Andersen's first Canadian Championship, and he'll carry that momentum toward Las Vegas after unofficially securing the 15th and final NFR qualification spot for what would be his fifth career appearance.
TIE-DOWN ROPING | AUSTIN HINES 🏆
Austin Hines didn't just climb the standings in Edmonton. He took control of the competition.
The 25-year-old entered the Finals ranked fourth but proceeded to win three of five rounds while collecting a check in every performance.
Hines was the only competitor to break the eight-second barrier twice, including a blistering 7.3-second run in Round 4.
His 41.8 seconds on five secured the aggregate championship, while his $55,487.46 Finals payday pushed his season earnings to $90,873.52.
For Hines, it all added up to his first career CFR Tie-Down Roping Championship.
TEAM ROPING | KAVIS DRAKE & DENIM ROSS 🏆
Kavis Drake and Denim Ross made their presence felt throughout the Canadian Finals Rodeo, collecting checks in four rounds and winning two along the way.
Their fastest run came in Round 4 when they stopped the clock at an event-best 3.8 seconds. The duo finished with 32.8 seconds on five to claim the aggregate championship.
Both cowboys earned $47,034.10 in Edmonton, bringing their individual season totals to $94,866.84.
It's Drake's second Canadian Championship after winning in 2024 alongside Jeremy Buhler, while Ross celebrates the first gold buckle of his career.
Neither cowboy qualified for the NFR this season, with both finishing 23rd in the world standings, but they'll close out 2026 as Canadian Champions.
BARREL RACING | KARLI COWIE 🏆
Nobody made a bigger move in Edmonton than Karli Cowie.
With all 12 barrel racers entering the Finals separated by less than $12,000, the championship was anybody's to claim.
Cowie arrived ranked seventh with $32,736.05 in earnings and proceeded to deliver the biggest standings comeback of the entire CFR.
She placed in four of five rounds, won Round 4 with the fastest run of the event at 13.52 seconds, and was the only competitor to break 13.75 seconds three times.
That consistency earned her the aggregate championship and $38,187.56 in Finals earnings.
Cowie finished the season with $70,923.61, more than $5,000 ahead of runner-up Austyn Tobey, to claim her first Canadian Championship.
From seventh place to a gold buckle!
BULL RIDING | GRADY YOUNG 🏆
Grady Young entered the Canadian Finals Rodeo leading the standings, and despite a strong challenge from Jordan Hansen, he held onto the top spot.
Young opened the Finals with back-to-back round victories, scoring 87 points in Round 1 and 87.5 in Round 2. He added another qualified ride in Round 3 to finish with 255.75 points on three bulls.
Hansen made things interesting, winning the aggregate with 256.75 points and earning an event-high $42,905.71, narrowly outpacing Young's $41,431.29 Finals payday.
But Young's regular-season advantage and early-round success were enough to secure the championship.
He finishes 2026 with $85,765.30 in season earnings and his first career CFR Bull Riding Championship.
🇨🇦 A CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND IN EDMONTON!
Eight championship titles, five rounds of competition, and a new collection of gold buckles headed home.
From Orin Larsen and Scott Guenthner adding to their championship legacies to first-time winners making their mark, the 2026 Canadian Finals Rodeo showcased the talent, competition, and determination that continue to define Canadian rodeo.
Congratulations to all eight champions and every athlete who earned their place at this year's Finals! 👏
Who impressed you most at the 2026 CFR??
