Larsen Celebrates Career-Best Regular Season

* Canadian Rodeo News CFR Bareback Riding Primer by Clay Creasy

Orin Larsen has enjoyed a career filled with success, but the Inglis, Manitoba, cowboy reached a new milestone in 2026, putting together the most successful CPRA regular season of his career. With $51,476.67 in earnings, Larsen enters his ninth Canadian Finals Rodeo atop the bareback riding standings for the first time, combining his trademark consistency with numerous standout performances aboard some of Canada’s top bucking horses.

Sharing much of that success with his travelling partner, 2024 Canadian Champion Kody Lamb, made the season even more memorable. “Canada was great. It was a good year, and I was fortunate to draw some great horses,” Larsen said.

Larsen also credits staying healthy and Lamb’s handling of their Canadian entries for a CPRA schedule that remained enjoyable and profitable.

Despite facing few injury setbacks throughout the campaign, he acknowledged that the physical demands of professional rodeo have changed with age. “35 is a LOT different than 25!”

The two cowboys were particularly dominant during the final weeks of June. Between Sundre, Wainwright, High River and Fort Macleod, they collected a lion’s share of the available earnings, trading victories while neither finished lower than fourth at any of the four stops. Larsen captured the Wainwright title with an 89.5-point ride aboard Vold’s Dancing Queen, while Lamb won Sundre with 89 points on Calgary’s Welcome Delivery.

As Larsen carried that momentum into Cowboy Christmas the following week, a strong showing at the Ponoka Stampede proved pivotal in establishing his lead in the Canadian standings, one he would not relinquish.

After winning the long round with an 88-point ride on Calgary’s H-64 Happening Fact, Larsen’s 85.75-point ride in the afternoon Finals on July 1^st secured the aggregate title and qualified him for the Showdown round that evening. He claimed a split of second place with an 89-point effort aboard Macza’s Stevie Knicks, leaving Ponoka with nearly $18,000 for his efforts. Combined with his portion of the previous weekend’s dominance, he added nearly $30,000 to his season total.

From there, the pair of tall bareback riders kept rodeoing hard across North America, with Larsen maintaining his position atop the CPRA standings while pursuing a 10th NFR qualification.

Ultimately, he finished 18th in the PRCA standings, falling short of a return to Las Vegas. With another Canadian championship within reach, however, he has little interest in dwelling on the disappointment.

“There’s nothing I can do about the NFR right now. You can only focus on what’s in front of you, and you can only be ticked off for so long,” he said.

Larsen welcomes the additional week between the conclusion of his PRCA season and the CFR, having previously travelled directly from the final event of the season to Edmonton.

“I’m really excited to not have to roll right into the CFR from Roggan, Colorado. Having that extra week will be a big help this year.”

While he continues to earn his living in the arena dirt, Larsen has begun looking to the skies for what could become his career after rodeo. He is currently working toward his private pilot’s licence through the Oklahoma Aeronautics Academy in El Reno, Oklahoma.

In the immediate future, however, his attention remains firmly on the CFR and the opportunity to add a second Canadian championship to his résumé.

Larsen’s $51,476.67 season total leaves him $6,435.74 ahead of Thorhild, Alberta’s Ethan Mazurenko, who gained ground with placings at all three events over the final weekend. His incredible 90-point ride aboard Stevie Knicks at Merritt, B.C., along with placings at Langley and in multiple rounds of the Armstrong Tour Finals, highlighted a strong finish to the season for the young Alberta cowboy.

Nanton’s Ty Taypotat and Cadogan’s Clint Laye round out the top four. All four contenders also met up during the Ponoka Showdown Championship, with Taypotat emerging victorious. Laye added another Armstrong Tour Finals Championship to his résumé last month, further demonstrating the strength of Larsen’s closest competition. All three challengers remain within reach of the lead, with a single go-round victory potentially enough to displace Larsen.

With a mixture of veterans and young guns, including his travelling partner Lamb, the remainder of the field sits at least one go-round win behind the top four. Still, the added money available at the CFR means almost anything can happen.

Having previously come from behind to claim his 2019 championship, Larsen knows the importance of making the most of every opportunity at the CFR. After the most productive regular season of his career, he’ll look to carry that momentum into Rogers Place, where another championship would add to his résumé.

2026 CFR BAREBACK QUALIFIERS