While several of this year’s top performers at NFR were rodeo superstars well before the 2017 season had even begun, there were many cowboys in Las Vegas who truly broke out for this first time with clutch performances. 

That’s the beauty of the 10-day Super Bowl of rodeo: the high stakes and huge money at National Finals Rodeo can propel a cowboy from relative obscurity to superstardom in little over a week at the Thomas & Mack Center.

With the big event now in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look at six of the athletes who either rejuvenated their careers this season or finally took the big step to rodeo greatness.

1. Tyler Pearson | Steer Wrestling World Champion

The 32-year-old Pearson hadn’t even qualified for NFR since 2013 before narrowly taking his first steer wrestling world title last Sunday. The Mississippi cowboy’s 2016 results were dismal — he finished 330th in the world standings with just $1,504 in earnings. But Pearson was a different athlete in 2017: he won eight events leading up NFR before finishing second in the average to just slip past Ty Erickson for the gold buckle.

2. Brody Cress | Saddle Bronc Average Champion

The story of the saddle bronc event was clearly 19-year-old Ryder Wright winning the gold buckle, but nearly as compelling was 21-year-old Brody Cress taking the average crown in his first ever appearance in Las Vegas. The Wyoming cowboy made just north of $5,000 last season, but a whopping 13 rodeo wins in 2017 set the stage for a breakout finish at NFR. Cress was the only cowboy with 10 qualified rides, and his victory at the Thomas & Mack Center marks the first buckle of any kind by a Wyoming native since 1960.

3. Marcos Costa | Tie-Down Average & World Champion

The Brazilian Costa was already well-established before sweeping the average and world titles last weekend — he finished second in the world in 2016 — but beating all-around champ Tuf Cooper and nearly doubling his career earnings certainly qualifies as a breakout for the 26-year-old. To top it all off, Costa took home two more honors: the RAM Top Gun Award as the highest money winner at this year’s NFR ($195,519), and the distinction of being Brazil’s first ever tie-down champion.

4. Dakota Eldridge | Third In Steer Wrestling Average & World Standings

He didn’t walk away with a gold buckle like the rest of the cowboys on this list, but there’s no doubt Eldridge exited Las Vegas as a happy man after recording his best career finish in the all around standings. The 26-year-old placed third in the top cowboy category in 2017, improving on his fifth-place showing from 2013 and announcing himself as a man to watch in 2018. The Nevada bulldogger was the steer wrestling world runner-up in 2015, and after taking third in the event this time he just may be ready for his first world title next.

5. & 6. Erich Rogers & Cory Petska | Team Roping

Before finally breaking through as team roping world champions in Vegas, header Erich Rogers and heeler Cory Petska had combined for a remarkable 14 top-10 world finishes without the ultimate prize. But that changed on Sunday for the roping partners, as the pair earned matching gold buckles — Petska in his 14th trip to NFR and Rogers in his 11th.

Related: 7 Breakout Stars At Junior NFR

By Lincoln Shryack