Bradlee Miller knew his opportunity had arrived when he saw the bucking horse he drew for the final day of Pool B competition at the Calgary Stampede rodeo. The 23-year-old bareback rider from Huntsville, Texas, delivered an 88-point ride on Coconut Valley, tying for the top score on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, and securing his first-ever berth in Championship Sunday.
Miller Tops Pool B Standings
Miller finished atop the Pool B aggregate standings with $16,500 in earnings over three days of competition at GMC Stadium. His 88-point effort on Coconut Valley, owned by Wayne Vold, tied him with Cole Reiner of Buffalo, Wyoming, who also scored 88 on Vold Rodeo's Dancing Queen. Reiner, however, finished fourth in the aggregate standings—the so-called “crying hole”—and did not advance.
“That horse I had today was Coconut Valley from Wayne Vold,” Miller said. “I didn’t know much about it. It’s another one of these horses that we don’t get to see much down in the U.S. They keep them up here for the most part. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but the same as I say every time whenever I win—whenever they bring them, they plan on them to buck and we just have to do our job.”
Road to Championship Sunday
The final two spots for Championship Sunday went to Roedy Farrell of Thermopolis, Wyoming, with $11,833.33, and Jesse Pope of Waverly, Kansas, with $11,000. Miller, who has competed in Calgary for four consecutive years, said this year’s achievement carries extra significance after a difficult 2025 campaign.
“I’ve never been to Championship Sunday,” Miller said. “The first two times I was here, I didn’t do as good as I wanted to and then last year, I drove up to Calgary with a torn groin that I tore over the Fourth of July. I talked to the sports med team here and we were going to give it the best chance we could by numbing it up. Sure enough, they made it pretty numb and I was able to walk around a lot better. Once I got my rigging on the horse and I crawled over, I realized I might need a groin to ride a bucking horse. That’s kind of what we hold on with, so I only got on one and then I went back home. This year means even more because it’s almost like I missed last year.”
Powerful Ride on Coconut Valley
Even before nodding his head in the chutes, Miller knew the challenge ahead. “Today, that horse bucked hard,” he said. “The one video I saw was Weston Timberman on it here. He was 88, made a big circle around the arena and when those horses cover up ground like that, it really takes a toll on that arm you’re holding onto him with. You always have to have your hammer cocked and give it 110 per cent, but sometimes whenever you know you have an easier one, you can show off to the judges a little earlier because you’re not worried about that power that’s going to come later. The horse I had today, I knew the power was coming and it did at about seven seconds.”
With his spot secured, Miller will compete on Championship Sunday for a chance at the top prize of $50,000. The Calgary Stampede rodeo continues through the weekend at GMC Stadium.
