ProRodeo Sports News - July 28, 2023

EDITOR’S LETTER TRACY RENCK

Award winning performer Rider Kiesner wows the crowd during the NFR Open powered by RAM at the Nor ris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Tanya Hamner photo

Contestants enjoy lucrative run through NFR Open, Calgary From June 29 through July 5 was Cowboy Christmas in the PRCA. In that time, contestants competed in 35 rodeos in 17 states and two provinces in Canada. The big winner this year was top earner tie-down roper Ty Harris, who earned a Cowboy Christmas record $40,561. As hectic as the 35-rodeo run was – contestants didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal. Following the Cowboy Christmas run, the PRCA Holston ($30,734); and team ropers Nelson Wyatt/ Tyler Worley ($24,725) who earned at least $20,000 and Holston, who walked away with $30,000-plus at the Norris Penrose Event Center. Watching these contestants bask in the thrill of victory was exciting to say the least. Especially at the Norris Penrose Event Center – the

home of the NFR Open – since contestants on Friday and Saturday were battling the elements, specifically a mud covered arena with standing water thanks to a visit from Mother Nature on July 14-15. These are season-changing earnings that will hopefully help guide these contestants to coveted bids to the Wrangler NFR, Dec. 7-16 in Las Vegas. The crazy thing to think about is the season is far from over with plenty of big paydays left. The PRCA has a calendar full of rodeos until Sept. 30. The Cinch Playoffs will play a bigger role than ever before in deciding who makes it to the Wrangler NFR with a payout of $1.1 million on the final weekend of the 2023 season. The PRCA, the State of South Dakota, Experience Sioux Falls and Cinch announced the Cinch Playoffs will have athletes competing for the Governor’s Cup and vying for the more than $1 million purse Sept. 28-30 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. It will be the richest rodeo in South Dakota history. So, attend rodeos if you can or enjoy them on The Cowboy Channel or Cowboy Channel Plus App as the drama unfolds and the Top 15 grid in each event gets set for the NFR.

ATM was still open for contestants as they competed at the Calgary Stampede (July 7-16) and the NFR Open powered by RAM (July 11-15) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The following Calgary Stampede winners – bareback rider Kade Sonnier; steer wrestler Scott Guenthner; saddle bronc rider Dawson Hay; tie-down roper Beau Cooper and bull rider Jared Parsonage earned $50,000 each for winning their respective Showdown rounds – half of which counted toward the PRCA | RAM World Standings. Team ropers Logan Medlin/Coleman Proctor won the Rocky Mountain Cup competition in Calgary – and each walked away with $12,500 all of which counts toward the world standings. Parsonage ($68,233), Guenthner ($66,000) and Hay ($64,000) were the top three overall money earners at the Stampede but not all of those winnings counted toward the world standings. At the NFR Open there were seven contestants – bareback rider Trenten Montero ($20,862); steer wrestler Stan Branco ($20,947); saddle bronc riders Kade Bruno ($21,634) and Statler Wright ($20,261); bull rider Trey

Tracy Renck is the editor of the ProRodeo

Sports News. He previously served more than seven years as a media coordinator at the PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism with the last several consumed by ProRodeo.

A NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS OF OUR PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS : EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, REFUNDS OF SUBSCRIPTIONS WILL NO LONGER BE ISSUED.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/28/2023

ProRodeo.com

6