2017: Won the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days, the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo (Denver, Colo.), the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show (Fort Worth, Texas), the Horse Heaven Round-Up (Kennewick, Wash.), the Rodeo Corpus Christi (Texas), the Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days, the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo, the Rodeo of the Ozarks (Springdale, Ark.), the Old Fort Days Rodeo (Fort Smith, Ark.), the U.S. Navy Seal Danny Dietz Ultimate Challenge (Rosenberg, Texas), the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo (Garden City, Kan.), the Gladewater (Texas) Round-Up Rodeo, the 41st Annual Isanti (Minn.) Firefighters Rodeo, the Jackson County Pro Rodeo (Bellevue, Iowa), the Elk City (Okla.) Rodeo Of Champions and the Carson (Iowa) Community Rodeo. Won the Pioneer City Rodeo (Palestine, Ill.). Co-champion at the Minnesota (St. Paul) Horse Exposition Rodeo and the Golden Spike Rodeo (Tremonton, Utah)
2016: Won the world champion title and the Wrangler NFR average by splitting the top spot in Round 2 and placing in seven rounds. O'Connell set a bareback riding record and claimed the biggest single-season total in any event with $347,272 earned. Won the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo (Kissimmee, Fla.), the RAM Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo (Louisville, Ky.), the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up, the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show (Fort Worth, Texas), the Justin Boots Playoffs (Puyallup, Wash.), the Dodge City, (Kan.) Roundup Rodeo, the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo. Won the Lawton (Okla.) Rangers Rodeo, the Buffalo Bill Rodeo (North Platte, Neb.), the Will Rogers Stampede (Claremore, Okla.), the 101 Wild West Rodeo (Ponca City, Okla.), the Edgewood (Iowa) Days PRCA Rodeo, the 40th Annual Isanti (Minn.) Firefighters Rodeo, the Gerry (N.Y.) Volunteer Firemen's Rodeo, the Carson (Iowa) Community Rodeo, the Pioneer City Rodeo (Palestine, Ill.) and the Pine City (Minn.) Championship PRCA Rodeo. Co-champion at the Old Fort Days Rodeo (Fort Smith, Ark.) and the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo (Garden City, Kan.)
2015: Won or split the win in two rounds and placed in four others at the Wrangler NFR. Won the Tri-State Rodeo (Fort Madison, Iowa), the Amarillo (Texas) Tri-State Fair and Rodeo, the Dixie National Rodeo (Jackson, Miss.), the Homestead (Fla.) Championship Rodeo, the Okeechobee (Fla.) Cattlemen’s Spring Rodeo, the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo (Vinita, Okla.), the Franklin (Tenn.) Rodeo, the Dayton (Iowa) Championship Rodeo, the Licking (Mo.) PRCA Rodeo, the West Texas Fair & Rodeo (Abilene) and the Harrison (Ark.) PRCA Rodeo. Co-champion at the Inter-State Rodeo (Coffeyville, Kan.), the Wrangler Champions Challenge (Scottsdale, Ariz.), the Wrangler Champions Challenge (Logandale, Nev.) and the Edgewood (Iowa) Days PRCA Rodeo. Finished fourth in the world standings with $217,917.
2014: Tied Bobby Mote for the win in Round 4 of the Wrangler NFR and finished third in Round 7. Won the Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale (Omaha, Neb.); the RAM Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo (Louisville, Ky.); the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede, the Wrangler Champions Challenge (Amarillo, Texas), the Oakdale (Calif.) Saddle Club Rodeo, the Amarillo (Texas) Tri-State Fair & Rodeo, the Cherokee (Iowa) Chamber PRCA Rodeo and the Dayton (Iowa) Championship Rodeo. Co-champion at the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up, the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo, the Lawton (Okla.) Rangers Rodeo, the Franklin (Tenn.) Rodeo, the Jackson County ProRodeo (Bellevue, Iowa) and the Pioneer City Rodeo (Palestine, Ill.). Finished eighth in world standings with $131,240.
2013: Won the second round of the National Western Stock Show Rodeo (Denver) and finished sixth in the average. Won the Lyon County Fair PRCA Rodeo (Marshall, Minn.), the Carson (Iowa) Community Rodeo and the Crossett (Ark.) Riding Club PRCA Rodeo. Co-champion at the Iowa Championship Rodeo (Sidney). Finished 21st in the world standings with $47,843
2012: Won the Oregon Trail Rodeo (Hastings, Neb.), the National Cattle Congress Rodeo (Waterloo, Iowa), the Western Fest Stampede Rodeo (Granite Falls, Minn.); the Wahoo (Neb.) Saddle Club PRCA Rodeo, the Green County Fair Pro Rodeo (Monroe, Wis.), the Upper Peninsula Championships (Iron River, Mich.), the Lyon County Fair PRCA Rodeo (Marshall, Minn.), the Tomah (Wis.) PRCA Rodeo and the Wapello (Iowa) PRCA Rodeo. Finished first in the Great Lakes Circuit year-end standings and earned $20,242 on his permit
2011: Won the Carson (Iowa) Community Rodeo and the Rock County Fair Pro Rodeo (Janesville, Wis.); co-champion at the Horse Days Rodeo (Belvidere, Ill.)
5-7, 145 … wife, Sami (married October 2015), son, Hazen … Father, Ray, is a PRCA pickup man; mother, Joann; brother, Will, is a PRCA bullfighter, who was a bull rider who qualified for the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo from the First Frontier Circuit … Graduated from Maquoketa (Iowa) High School, which is near the Wisconsin border and received a waiver to compete in the Wisconsin state rodeo championships and represent that state in the National High School Finals Rodeo … Also competed in high school wrestling … Credits his rapid rise in the sport to Three Hills Rodeo’s Free Ride Program, which provides expert instruction at its Bernard, Iowa, facility, then pays permit dues and entry fees for all rodeos produced by Three Hills … Favorite rodeo is the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa, “the biggest rodeo closest to my hometown” … Enjoys hunting … Favorite movie is the Will Ferrell basketball comedy “Semi-Pro” … Favorite food is sushi … Nine-time World Champion Ty Murray is his rodeo idol … Dream livestock draw is Dirty Jacket of the Carr Pro Rodeo string
