The 21-Year-Old Cowboy Sought To Be “The Best At Something”
Hailing from Weatherford, Texas, 21-year-old Rocker Steiner competed in the 2025 National Finals Rodeo, winning his first gold buckle with the world title in bareback riding on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Described as the “Bad Boy of Rodeo,” Rocker is a fifth-generation cowboy whose grandfather, Bobby Steiner, is the 1973 world champion bull rider; and his father, Sid Steiner, is the 2002 world champion steer wrestler.
Further, his mother, Jamie Steiner, is a barrel racer.
Rocker has made a name for himself, coming from his family’s legacy but forging his own path. Known for red Western outfits, long hair, and a personality worthy of his name, Rocker is also a skilled rodeo competitor.
“I really think I do have the fastest feet in the PRCA right now,” said Rocker Steiner in an interview conducted for the Hell on Wheels series.
That was put to the test at the 2025 NFR, which was held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Riding atop Calgary Stampede’s Disco Party, Steiner made up for several rounds under fellow rider Jess Pope.
Pope had a series of wins in Rounds 7, 8 and 9.
In Round 10, Rocker moved with precision to match Disco Party as he bucked about for a memorable eight-second ride.
This ride earned Rocker a 90.5, and ultimately the gold buckle of the 2025 world title in bareback riding.
Having come into the 2025 NFR with $313,547, Sports Illustrated noted that Rocker’s year-end total earnings are $507,532.
“I think after my dad won the world, they thought the Steiner rodeo legacy was over,” Rocker said in comments to PRCA. “Somewhere along the line, the rodeo world called us back, and then I was the one to do it. We get to leave Las Vegas as three World Champions. So this is everything I’ve ever wanted.”
As quoted in Las Vegas Review Journal, Rocker said, “This is everything I’ve ever wanted, dreamt about, worked for, bled for, cried for. This is everything. This wasn’t necessarily about the gold buckle (world title), this is doing this for my family. I want my family to know their son is the best at something.”
He added, “I want my family to know that they have a son that worked as hard as he possibly could and never gave up and I finally gave it to them.”
Watch his 90.5-point ride on Disco Party in the 10th round of the 2025 NFR, here:
Earlier this year, a special on Rocker Steiner, titled Hell on Wheels with Rocker Steiner, was produced by the Cowboy Channel and Boot Barn. This documentary series looks at Rocker’s rise within the rodeo scene, interviewing Rocker, his family, other rodeo professionals, and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.
Learn more about Rocker by watching Hell on Wheels with Rocker Steiner, here:
