The fifth round of the 2025 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas delivered exactly what fans came for: arena records flirting with the clock, gold buckle dreams gaining traction, and a few heartbreaks along the way as the average race tightened across multiple events.
Here’s how Round 5 reshaped the battle for world titles.
Rocker Steiner’s Statement Win in Bareback
Bareback rider
Rocker Steiner took a major step toward his first
gold buckle, winning
Round 5 and putting real pressure on his closest rivals.
According to the NFR’s official recap, Steiner’s Round 5 performance was described as a “major step” in the world title race, signaling that he’s not just winning rounds—he’s controlling the momentum of the entire event. His second go-round buckle of the 2025 NFR moved him closer to locking up the world championship.
With five rounds in the books and five to go, Steiner’s surge puts him in a powerful position:
- He’s stacking
go-round money, which counts toward the world standings.
- He’s building consistency in the
average, which pays big at the end of the NFR.
In bareback, where the difference between first and fifth can be fractions of a point, these Round 5 chips matter.
Barrel Racing: Carlee Otero Blows Up the Clock
If Round 5 had a breakout star, it was
Carlee Otero in
barrel racing.
The WPRA reported that Otero stopped the clock in
13.43 seconds to win Round 5 at the 2025 Wrangler NFR, cashing
$36,668 for the victory. That time came in a lightning-fast back half of the draw that saw multiple veterans post serious threats.
The Round 5 barrel racing results:
-
1. Carlee Otero, Perrin, Texas –
13.43 seconds,
$36,668
-
2. (tie) Lisa Lockhart (Oelrichs, S.D.) &
Halyn Lide (China Spring, Texas) –
13.55,
$25,431 each
-
4. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas –
13.56,
$15,377
-
5. Tricia Aldridge, Sanger, Texas –
13.61,
$9,463
-
6. Katelyn Scott, Odessa, Texas –
13.63, $5,914
The run was a redemption story for Otero, who competed through the 2024 NFR with a
cracked pelvis and is now healthy and dangerous in 2025.
She followed a blistering 13.55 from veteran
Lisa Lockhart and still edged the field, prompting Otero to admit,
“God was on my side because that second barrel…whew it was close.”Average Shake-Up: Rookie Katelyn Scott Takes Control
While Otero stole the round,
Katelyn Scott quietly took command of the
average in barrel racing after five runs.
The WPRA’s average leaderboard after Round 5:
-
1. Katelyn Scott, Odessa, Texas –
68.63 seconds on five runs
-
2. (tie) Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas &
Tricia Aldridge, Sanger, Texas –
68.69-
4. Julie Plourde, Krum, Texas –
70.22Scott is making her
first NFR appearance, but she’s riding like a veteran in the Thomas & Mack Center. She’s also quickly becoming a locker-room favorite: on Monday night she loaned her backup horse,
Heaven Sent Fame (“Kian”), to fellow competitor
Tayla Moeykens, a rare act of generosity at this level.
It didn’t fully pay off—Moeykens hit a barrel—but it underscored the mix of competition and camaraderie that defines the NFR.
Meanwhile, reigning world champion
Kassie Mowry stayed in the thick of the world title race. Despite finishing outside the top six in Round 5 with a
13.77, she still
leads the world standings with $279,684.
Steer Wrestling: Douch Grabs His First 2025 Go-Round Buckle
In
steer wrestling, Round 5 belonged to
Scottie Douch, who clocked a
7.4-second run to earn his first go-round buckle of the 2025 NFR.
The NFR reported that this was Douch’s
second career NFR round win and his first since 2023, a big moment for a cowboy trying to claw his way into the world title conversation.
A 7.4 might not sound blistering compared to sub-4-second runs on other nights, but in a round where conditions and cattle can change the script, it was enough to top the field and secure valuable points.
Why Round 5 Matters So Much
Round 5 is the
midpoint of the 10-round NFR, and it often marks the moment when:
-
Momentum shifts from hot starters to consistent finishers.
-
Average races begin to solidify.
- Cowboys and cowgirls with world title hopes either separate—or slip.
A few key implications from this year’s Round 5:
-
Bareback: Rocker Steiner is no longer just in the mix—he’s a frontrunner for the gold buckle after another go-round win.
-
Barrel racing:- Carlee Otero has gone from injury story to
round-winning force.
- Rookie Katelyn Scott now controls the
average, which could be a six-figure swing by the end.
- Kassie Mowry remains the
world standings leader, even after missing the money in Round 5.
-
Steer wrestling: Scottie Douch’s Round 5 buckle keeps his season alive and adds pressure to the leaders.
With five rounds remaining, every run now feels like a mini-finals inside the Finals.
What to Watch Going Into Round 6
As the NFR heads deeper into the back half, here’s what fans and insiders will be tracking:
-
Can Steiner maintain his edge? A stumble in the bareback average could reopen the gold buckle race.
-
Will Scott’s rookie composure hold? One tipped barrel could erase her average lead—and open the door for Mowry or Aldridge.
-
Is Otero just getting started? With Round 3 and Round 5 wins already on the board in 2025, she’s proving she can beat anyone on any night.
-
Who surges late in timed events? Steer wrestling and team roping traditionally produce dramatic late-round climbs.
The NFR scoreboard will keep changing, but Round 5 will likely be remembered as the night when a handful of contenders stopped chasing—and started controlling—the race.
Sources
1. Otero Wins Round 5 at the 2025 Wrangler NFR | WPRA
2. Results | The Official NFR Experience
3. Rocker Steiner Takes Major Step Toward Gold Buckle with Round 5 Win
