No. 1 | $95,655

Freeman lives on the Missouri/Oklahoma border—on any given week there are three jackpots within driving distance and plenty of amateur rodeos to get to. But nobody in his corner of the world had gone and done it at the professional level. His dad roped some and his sister hits the circuit rodeos with a breakaway rope in hand. The PRCA trail, though, was uncharted.

“Growing up in Missouri, nobody has moved off and truly made a living doing it,” Freeman said. “It was always just mentioned that it was it’s hard to do. You’re not going to rope for a living.”

He didn’t accept that as a final answer.

He started at USTRC ropings around 11 years old, grew up with the number system and then eventually started IRA rodeoing at 16. Two people helped shape him most through those years: his dad, who was with him through all of it, and Walt Woodard, who would come to the indoor barn his parents own in Carthage and put on a school every year.

“He would help me for a few days a year,” Freeman said. “I’d try to retain all the knowledge that he filled me in with.”

Then he went to Cisco College, moved in with Tyler and Brittany Worley, and that made all the difference.

“Tyler has helped me so much,” Freeman said. “They’ve given me great opportunities with some horses and just a spot to live. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Tyler.”

Getting to Texas and getting around guys who roped for a living every single day was what finally answered the question he’d been carrying around. He didn’t know if he was good enough until he got in the middle of it.

“I was never around all those guys, so I didn’t know if I was good enough or not,” he said. “I still not sure, but it was a big deal to get down there and get around everybody and just see how it all works.”

Growing up, he watched Jade Corkill more than anyone.

“Everybody watched Jade Corkill,” Freeman said. “He was the best whenever I was a kid and still is.”

Travis Graves, Jake Long, Clay O’Brien Cooper, Rich Skelton—he watched all of them, studied how they rode and their different styles. The names became a checklist of things to learn.

The horses Freeman has hauled along the way tell the story of his career in stages. At first, it was nothing flashy. As he got better, the horses got better until finally, after having two out with injury, he called Trae Smith in need of another one.

“I called Trae Smith and said, ‘Man, do you have anything for sale?’” he said. “He said, ‘Yep.’ So I went over there, ran five or six steers on him and bought him. He’s been very good to me ever since. He’s very forgiving and always on my team.”

The “he” in question is PBD Corndog, who he calls Carbon, who gave him the ride around the corner for all those steers in Houston.

Freeman’s first major rodeo win came two years ago at the Cody Stampede with Kreece Thompson. He’s placed second twice in the Ariat WSTR Open Finale, won second in Cinch USTRC #11.5 Shootout in Oklahoma City with his cousin. But Houston was different—and getting there wasn’t all smooth sailing.

They got in through the 2026 standings, which meant working for it all winter. Rosenberg, Hempstead, Belleville, Lubbock. They nearly got in off second at Rosenberg. Nearly.

They flew to Brawley, California, for the last one just to be sure—Freeman on a plane, Korbin in a rig—and won a little over a thousand dollars.

“We thought we had it done before we flew out there,” Freeman said. “But we were like, let’s go just to make sure nothing crazy happens. There was a lot of rodeoing that went on to get into Houston.”

“That’s crazy that it’s all paying off,” he continued. “We went to all that stuff.”

The partnership with Korbin Rice goes back further than just this year. Reed Boos connected them when Rice was transferring to Tarleton and Freeman was coming to Cisco. They roped together in college, made the College National Finals in Casper, Wyoming, then went their separate ways until a text about a Uvalde qualifier turned into a question about whether either of them needed a partner for the rest of the year.

“Korbin does a very good job,” Freeman said. “He scores great, he hardly ever takes us out of the game, and he turns a lot of steers — that takes a lot of pressure off of me. And we get along great, we have fun together, and it seems like we catch a lot.”

Freeman’s faith sits at the center of how he operates — in the arena, on the road, and looking at everything in front of him.

“I’m a very big believer that God has a plan and a path paved for everybody,” Freeman said. “If it’s going really good or really bad, it’s all part of a plan. Just enjoy the good times and ride out the bad times and you’ll end up where you’re supposed to end up.”

Walking into NRG Stadium for the first time and winning the rodeo that everybody goes all year trying to get into — he still daydreams about it.

“That’s crazy that it was our first time and we won it,” Freeman said. “It’s kind of unreal in some aspects.”

The NFR is next in the daydream that is now within reach. His family has been with him through all of it—the weekly ropings in Carthage, the journey to Texas, all of it.

“It would mean the world to them,” Freeman said. “It would dang sure be a lifelong dream come true.”

Whether it happens this year or not, Freeman says he’ll be at peace with it.

“I just like to sit back and enjoy the ride and just have faith and trust that he’ll take me where I need to go. If it’s going really good or really bad, it’s all part of a plan. You’ll end up where you’re supposed to end up.”