Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo to launch the Biggest Weekend in Western Sports, followed by the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship on May 18-19
By Kacie Albert
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:
Convoy (Head Coach Cody Ohl and Assistant Coach Saylor Ohl)
- 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.
Jokers (Head Coach Sid Steiner and Assistant Coach Joe Beaver)
- 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.
Low Riders (Head Coach Trevor Brazile and Assistant Coach Dale Brisby)
- 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.
Misty Mountain Hop (Head Coach Charmayne James and Assistant Coach Justin McKee)
- 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.
Sledge Hammers (Head Coach Fred Whitfield and Assistant Coach Curtis Pederson)
- 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 the two-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.
About PBR (Professional Bull Riders):
PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 800 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. In 2022, the organization launched PBR Teams—eight teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship—as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 60 annual events nationwide. The organization’s digital assets include PBR RidePass on Pluto TV, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.
About Kid Rock:
Kid Rock is a multi-platinum award-winning American rock ‘n roll icon. His music has been characterized as a melting pot of musical genres; from rap-rock in the ‘90s with singles “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy,” to the multi-chart hit “Picture,” a collaboration with Sheryl Crow, to the global smash hit, “All Summer Long,” charted at No. 1 in eight countries across Europe and Australia. Rock has sold nearly 30 million records worldwide and has earned a reputation as one of the hardest-working acts in rock n’ roll, blowing the roofs off arenas and stadiums on countless cross-country tours and treks around the globe.
Kid Rock holds the Michigan record for most tickets sold with 150,000 for a run of ten consecutive sold-out shows, and he set the Little Caesars Arena attendance record in his hometown of Detroit with 86,893 attendees in six sold-out shows.
Kid Rock is also a passionate supporter of those who serve in the US Armed Forces, in addition to many other charitable causes through his Kid Rock Foundation. His newest album, Bad Reputation, was released through his own Top Dog Records label. The album features crowd favorites, “Don’t Tell Me How To Live,” “We The People,” and “My Kind of Country,” a song he co-wrote with Eric Church and Adam Hood.
