The Missouri Valley College Rodeo programs may have just finished competing at the College National Finals Rodeo this past weekend, but Head Coach Ken Mason and several of his cowboys are already working to prepare for the start of the 2025-2026 season this fall.

The men’s rodeo team finished second in the nation during the event, earning reserve champion honors with 567.5 points. Bareback rider Kooper Heimburg also picked up reserve champion honors, missing the national title by a point in the standings. Heimburg said he felt confident going into the event thanks to all the hard work he put in throughout the year.

 

Other Viking bareback riders finished well at the competition, with Bryce Eck finishing fifth and Jason Wilson finishing 12th in the average. Wilson says the team’s camaraderie has helped make each individual better each day.

 

Ken Mason has coached at Missouri Valley for more than two decades and has seen many of his teams finish in the top ten at Nationals. Mason says his team remains hard-working and coachable, even after all the success they’ve had.

 

Mason says he plans to recruit during the 2025 National High School Finals Rodeo in July. The team is also hard at work this summer, taking care of livestock and preparing for the next season to start this fall.