By Brian Hurlburt
Tucker Allen, the 2025 PRCA Steer Wrestling World Champion, was riding high in December 2025 when he clinched his first gold buckle and the average in just his second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo® appearance.
His dream came true following those fateful 10 nights inside the world-famous Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. But after a season-ending knee injury suffered during the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo in late July 2026, Allen’s rodeo season is over.
Allen tore his left ACL, MCL and posterolateral meniscus, and surgery is scheduled for August.
“Not the news I hoped to be sharing, but unfortunately I will be out for the remainder of the rodeo season,” Allen wrote on social media on July 25. “Luckily, I will have Dr. Tandy Freeman doing my surgery in two weeks, then will be on the road to come back for the winter rodeos at the beginning of next year! I want to thank all my great sponsors, friends and family who help me live this dream! Good luck to the rest of the guys on the road and my traveling partners. I wish the best for everyone! I’ll be back better than ever and appreciate the support.”
Allen came into the 2025 Wrangler NFR fifth in the world standings and rode all 10 head, winning the average to climb into the top spot by about $64,000 over Will Lummus. At a 2026 Wrangler National Finals media event in May at the Rio Suites Hotel & Casino, Allen reflected on winning the world title.
“My day-to-day life hasn’t changed, and I don’t think of myself any differently, but it has been cool to see how it affected my family and my friends,” Allen said. “It was an awesome personal accomplishment, but it was really a team effort. To see it all pay off and watch them be so happy that it happened—that was probably the best part. No matter how the rest of my career goes, we got it done once. We’re going to keep working to do it again, but at the very least, it’s a personal accomplishment that will forever be in the history books.”
The support and congratulations came from all angles for Allen, who also tore his right ACL in 2020. He is a favorite on and off the dirt.
“Even the other steer wrestlers—right after I threw my final steer down, I walked back behind the chutes and every one of them was giving me a hug and congratulating me,” Allen said. “That’s pretty cool because those are your competitors. It shows the camaraderie we have. Steer wrestlers are kind of like a brotherhood. All of our girlfriends and wives are best friends, so it’s one big, tight-knit family.”
Allen will always remember a special moment with his idol and mentor shortly after winning the gold buckle. Like so many other NFR-winning moments, this one occurred tucked away in the quiet of the Thomas & Mack Center.
“Probably the coolest personal experience was walking back to meet my family and running into Luke Branquinho in the hallway,” Allen said. “That’s who I grew up with, and he taught me everything I know. That was a pretty heartfelt moment. I don’t get too emotional, but we both got pretty emotional right there. That was really cool.”
Branquinho was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2023 and won five gold buckles (2004, 2008, 2011-12 and 2014) during his career. He was generous with his time and knowledge with a young Allen.
“I’ve been with him since I was 14, so he’s taught me everything, from how to steer wrestle to horsemanship and all of that,” Allen said. “But probably the biggest thing he taught me was the mental game. He was the greatest steer wrestler of all time for a reason. He had the physical ability, but he also had a killer instinct. He was a winner. He never really sat me down and told me exactly how to do things. It was more about being around him. You eventually absorb it. His mental approach and the way he competed were the biggest things he gave me.”
Allen won’t be part of the competitive story during this year’s Wrangler NFR, but he will most likely be there supporting his “brothers”, while taking in the NFR experience more as a fan than as a competitor.
“The NFR is our Super Bowl of rodeo, and that’s the best way I can explain it,” Allen said. “It’s like the Super Bowl and the World Series all rolled into one, but it’s even more action-packed. Every event features the best competitors in the world, and the stakes are so high that the fans can actually feel the pressure. In one event, someone might have the world title all but wrapped up, but in another event, it might come down to three guys on the final night. There aren’t many other sports where you get that many opportunities to watch athletes compete under that kind of pressure. It’s unreal. It’s definitely a must-see.”
