Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year Cole Reiner Qualifies for Wrangler NFR
Not only did Cole Reiner qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, but he also finished atop the PRCA | Resistol Rookie Standings in bareback riding by a margin of $31,309.
“Honestly, it was kind of relieving since it’s usually a close race and there were great guys in it this year,” Reiner said. “This is something they will announce for the rest of my career. It’s a big accomplishment, and a lot of people have won it and gone on to be successful.”
He’ll enter the Wrangler NFR in the No. 12 position with $45,043.
“Winning Rookie of the Year is a pretty big deal, it was my original goal this year,” said Reiner, 22. “The amount of rookies of the year who make the NFR is pretty high. That is a cool accomplishment and a big confidence booster going into this first NFR.”
Of all Reiner’s accomplishments in 2020, doing well at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo are among his proudest accomplishments. He won $6,580 in Fort Worth and $5,750 in San Antonio.
“Going out and winning a lot in Fort Worth and San Antonio was a big deal since you’re new and don’t know where you’re at with your riding ability,” Reiner said. “So to compete against those guys and do well there got my confidence up and got me feeling like I belonged more.”
The Kaycee, Wyo., cowboy first realized the Wrangler NFR was a realistic goal early in the season when Amy Wilson interviewed him for The Cowboy Channel in San Antonio.
“I hadn’t realized how much I won and that I was in the top 10 in the world standings right there, and she started talking about possibly the NFR and that was the first time it was a real thought,” Reiner said. “It was a goal, but I was mostly worried about the Rookie of the Year race, and I was already winning it by like $15,000, so I sat down after San Antonio and re-looked at what this year could possibly be, and even then, $20,000 won’t get you anywhere in the PRCA on a regular year. It was going to be $80,000 to $100,000 to make the NFR, but then COVID hit, so $20,000 was a good amount of money to have.”
Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Reiner.
“There was a little bit there before August when I was falling out of the Top 15 and was 20th in the world, but then I got on a roll and solidified my spot after the Riggin Rally (in Darby, Mont.),” Reiner said.
Reiner picked up $2,050 in Darby, and a few weeks later he finished the regular season by earning $4,680 at the Gold Buckle Beer ProRodeo Tour Finale in Rapid City, S.D.
“In Rapid City, when Boyd (Polhamus) announced I made my first NFR, that was a cool moment for sure,” Reiner said.
Courtesy of PRCA