ProRodeo Sports News - September 20, 2024

sales are ahead of last year and the competition is going to be great. There’s more money, so we’re looking forward to it.” Cowboys and cowgirls face a long road to qualify for the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup. They compete at the 60 highest-paying rodeos, earning points to secure a spot in the top 24 of the series standings and advance to the Cinch Playoffs at the Puyallup (Wash.) Rodeo. The field is cut in half in Puyallup, with four cowboys and cowgirls earning their way into the Governor’s Cup by reaching the finals and the other eight by holding steady in the standings. “We watched how much it changed how people rodeoed last year,” Lemmel said. “They had to go to the 60 major rodeos to get here and then fight their way through Puyallup. It was fun watching it develop and we’re looking at the contestant list now, and the cream rises to the top.” Will Lummus fought his way into the rodeo last season and made the most of his opportunity. The steer wrestler from Byhalia, Miss., hauled in $29,000 during the three-day event and put himself in prime position to chase a world title at the National Finals Rodeo. “For anybody rodeoing at all, that’s a huge deal,” Lummus said. “But especially for guys that are sitting on the bubble or a guy like me, that’s within reach of being the season leader. I just need about $20,000, so it’s a big deal all the way around.” Lummus, a six-time NFR qualifier and ninth-year pro, said the Governor’s Cup feels like a true season finale. The atmosphere in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center matches the importance of the event. “They put us up there and make us feel like athletes, and make us feel like professional athletes,” he said. “It’s a great event and they do an awesome job.” The event is South Dakota’s richest rodeo, and Lemmel takes pride in representing a state with a rich tradition in the sport. “Pretty much everywhere I go in the state, somebody will ask about the Governor’s Cup,” Lemmel said. “And I think it really caught them off guard that we could have a mini National Finals Rodeo in our state with that much importance. So, I think everybody is taking a lot of pride in it.”

Roseanna Sales photo The fans in Sioux Falls, S.D., take in the action during the 2023 Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup. 12 contestants in each event will battle it out for the championship.

Roseanna Sales photo Every event winner from the 2023 Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup qualified for the National Finals Rodeo. This year the rodeo will payout $1.3 million to contestants.

ProRodeo Sports News 9/20/2024

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