For most collegiate athletes, the opportunity to compete for a national championship represents the pinnacle of their athletic career.
This June, four Feather River College cowboys will have that opportunity as they travel to Casper, Wyoming, to compete at the 2026 College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), the premier championship event in collegiate rodeo and the culmination of a season-long journey through the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).
Held annually at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming, the CNFR brings together more than 400 of the nation’s top collegiate rodeo athletes representing more than 100 colleges and universities from across the United States. Throughout seven days of competition, competitors battle for individual national championships and team titles in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying.
Widely regarded as collegiate rodeo’s most prestigious event, the CNFR represents the highest level of competition in the sport and serves as the national championship for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.
Feather River College earned four individual qualifications to this year’s championship after another outstanding season competing in the highly competitive NIRA West Coast Region.
Leading the way is Ian Leavitt, who captured the West Coast Region Bareback Riding Championship to secure his place among the nation’s elite competitors. Joining him in Casper will be fellow bareback rider Vinny Templeton, who finished as the West Coast Region Reserve Champion and earned qualification after an exceptional season that also saw him finish eighth in the region’s All-Around standings.
Hunter Maxwell enters the national finals as the West Coast Region Bull Riding Champion after claiming the regional title and establishing himself as one of the top bull riders in collegiate rodeo. Ian Livingstone rounds out Feather River’s national qualifiers after finishing third in the West Coast Region Saddle Bronc Riding standings to earn his trip to Casper.
Collectively, the four qualifiers helped lead Feather River College to a third-place finish in the final NIRA West Coast Region men’s team standings, narrowly missing qualification of an entire men’s team to the national finals. The Golden Eagles finished just 131.5 points shy of second place in one of the nation’s most competitive collegiate rodeo regions.
The success of the Feather River College rodeo program extends well beyond the arena. Earlier this month, Head Coach Zack Brown was honored as the NIRA West Coast Region Coach of the Year, a recognition of his leadership, dedication, and commitment to student-athlete success.
Brown’s honor came during the 2026 NIRA West Coast Region Finals Rodeo, where Feather River College served as the host institution for the championship event.
The regional finals also showcased the depth of the Golden Eagle program. Feather River athletes produced a West Coast Region Champion in Bareback Riding, a Reserve Champion in Bareback Riding, a West Coast Region Champion in Bull Riding, and a third-place finisher in Saddle Bronc Riding while placing three competitors among the region’s top six saddle bronc riders.
The 2026 College National Finals Rodeo will be held June 14-20 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming. The week-long championship features nightly performances leading up to the national championship finals on Saturday evening as collegiate rodeo’s best athletes compete for national titles and All-America honors.
Feather River College congratulates Ian Leavitt, Vinny Templeton, Hunter Maxwell, and Ian Livingstone on their remarkable accomplishments and wishes them the very best as they represent the Golden Eagles on collegiate rodeo’s biggest stage.
