When rookies announce their debut season in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), they spend the season chasing one goal: the Resistol Rookie of the Year title.
This year there’s several bull riders who are doing much more than that - and one leading the way.
Noah Lee isn’t just leading a talent-packed rookie race by more than $38,000 as of July 6; he’s also in contention for the No. 1 spot in the PRCA Bull Riding World Standings. As of Monday, July 6, Lee was No. 2 in the world with $172,321 earned on the season.
The Mineral Wells, Texas, native is going head-to-head with the sport’s biggest names, many whom he grew up watching. With Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Mike Lee as his dad, bull riding has always been part of his life, but in 2026, Noah is proving he belongs on his own merit.
At just 18 years old, Lee has pieced together a breakout season, collecting checks across the country before making the most of his first Cowboy Christmas.
Let’s Break Down Lee’s Season This Far
Lee first caught attention during the first weekend of February when he won BULLNANZA in Guthrie, Oklahoma. His 90.5-point ride aboard The Hondo from McCoy Rodeo was worth $12,831 and marked the first major payday as a pro, even though the money didn’t count toward the world standings since Lee was on his permit.
He added another $6,281 throughout the rest of February, building momentum before his breakout month in March.
March proved to be the turning point in Lee’s rookie season. He earned $28,964 during the month, bringing his season total to $48,076 before April even began.
Although he didn’t qualify for the early Texas Swing rodeos, Lee made the most of his opportunity in San Angelo. He swept both the San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo and the Xtreme Bulls, earning $28,834 during his time there. It was a breakout performance that established him as a serious contender for both the Resistol Rookie of the Year title and a spot among the top 15.
Since April, Lee has been on a hot streak earning more than $69,000 from late April to the last week of June.
Cowboy Christmas is the most lucrative stretch of the PRCA season, and Lee made the most of his first Fourth of July run by competing at some of rodeo’s most historic and season-changing events. His schedule included the St. Paul Rodeo, Livingston Roundup Rodeo, Cody Stampede Rodeo, and the Oakley Independence Day Rodeo.
Of those four rodeos, Lee claimed three titles. He won St. Paul ($16,963), Livingston ($6,692), and Cody ($10,863), earning a total of $34,338 during Cowboy Christmas. That surge vaulted him to No. 2 in the Bull Riding World Standings, sitting just over $14,000 behind leader Tristian Hutchings.
While Lee’s Cowboy Christmas might have come to an end, he’s already north of the border, competing in Pool B at the Calgary Stampede, looking to close the gap even further on the No. 1 spot in the world.