Red Bull Rancher Strong 2026: Full Recap, Format, and Results

Red Bull Rancher Strong 2026 took over Tejas Rodeo in Texas with its elimination format, eight ranch-themed strength stations, and head-to-head finals under the lights.

Unlike traditional fitness races built on cumulative times, Rancher Strong becomes a bracket once the field narrows, turning strength sport into a direct showdown.

The event featured Pro and Open divisions for both men and women. Athletes advanced from qualifiers to semifinals and ultimately into final showdown heats.

Course Breakdown: 8 Stations and Barn Finish

The course combined grip strength, odd object carries, brute force, and coordination before a final ladder climb to the buzzer.

Station 1: Escape the Barn

Athletes descended from the barn using monkey bars and were required to touch the first and last bar with both hands before dropping.

Misses resulted in a ladder descent and a five second dead hang penalty.

Station 2: Load the Feed

Athletes loaded 50 lb feed bags into a wheelbarrow and pushed it to the finish mark.

Men were required to move five bags. Women were required to move four. All bags had to be loaded before advancing.

Station 3: Tractor Tire Tussle

Athletes flipped a tractor tire down their lane and finished with it upright against the tractor axle.

The tire had to be flipped vertically. Rolling was not allowed.

Station 4: Stockyard Scramble

Athletes navigated over and under log sections, with two tall and two short obstacles per lane.

A plyo box was available for assistance on tall logs, but athletes had to move the box themselves.

Station 5: Grind the Grain

Athletes pushed a heavy stone mill past a red ground mark.

Women and men completed two full rotations. The final rotation had to finish aligned with the red mark.

Station 6: Hay Bale Hustle

Athletes climbed stacked hay bales, rang a bell at the top, and descended with both feet hitting each level.

Missing the bell required climbing back up before continuing. This station also determined the tiebreak time.

Station 7: Rancher’s Carry

Athletes lifted a water yoke behind the neck and on the shoulders, carrying it past the back edge of the bull sled before dropping it.

Station 8: Rope the Bull

Athletes mounted a saddle and pulled a sled toward them using a rope.

The sled weighed 85 lb for women and 155 lb for men. Once the sled reached the stop point, athletes tapped the bull’s head, dismounted, and ran back toward the barn.

Ladder Climb and Finish

To finish, athletes returned to the barn, set up a ladder, climbed to the top deck, and hit the buzzer to stop their time.

Competition Format

Rancher Strong ran as a true elimination event.

All athletes first competed in a qualifier round. The top 22 in each division advanced to the semifinals. From there, the top four athletes moved on to the finals.

Finals Structure

The finals were split into two heats.

Heat 1 featured the third and fourth place semifinal finishers racing for third overall.

Heat 2 featured the first and second place semifinal finishers going head to head for the win.

In the event of a tie, the tiebreak was determined by the time it took an athlete to reach and ring the bell at the top of the hay bale stack in Station 6.

How the Bracket Played Out

Once the field narrowed to four in each division, Rancher Strong shifted into pure bracket mode.

In the Men’s Open division, Baxter Hummel beat Aydon Holley in the third-place heat, while Cameron Tew squared off against Jalen Noble for the title. Tew won the head-to-head battle to claim the championship in a 43-man field.

In Men’s Pro, Nate Burkhalter secured third by defeating Todd Bourgeois, setting up a championship showdown between defending Rancher Strong champion Thomas Van Tonder and American Ninja Warrior champion Daniel Gil. Gil made a costly mistake and tipped his wheelbarrow over. Van Tonder took advantage and came out on top to defend his Pro buckle.

On the women’s side, Daytona Coleman won the Open third-place race over Latifah Braswell. In the title heat, Trista Smith edged Riley Petcosky, last year’s third-place finisher, to win the Open division.

In Women’s Pro, last year’s runner-up Maggi Thorne claimed third after defeating fellow Ninja and close friend Michelle Warnky Buurma. The championship race featured HYROX and World’s Toughest Mudder champion Kris Rugloski against defending Rancher Strong champion Arielle Loewen. Loewen repeated, completing a double sweep of returning champions on the Pro side.

Results

Men’s Open Podium

1 Cameron Tew
2 Jalen Noble
3 Baxter Hummel

Men’s Pro Podium

1 Thomas Van Tonder
2 Daniel Gil
3 Nate Burkhalter

Women’s Open Podium

1 Trista Smith
2 Riley Petcosky
3 Daytona Coleman

Women’s Pro Podium

1 Arielle Loewen
2 Kris Rugloski
3 Maggi Thorne

Prizing

First place received a Gold Belt Buckle Trophy, a Super73 ORBR e-bike, and a Decked product of choice.

Second place received a Silver Belt Buckle Trophy and two tickets to the Grand Prix of the Americas.

Third place received a $250 gift card to the Red Bull Shop.