PRORODEO Sports News - July 2, 2026

MANAGER’S MESSAGE

COWBOY CHRISTMAS

D uring the PRORODEO regular season, there are plenty of rodeos contestants mark on their calendars. One that is at the forefront every year is Cowboy Christmas. This year the lucrative run will take place from July 1-8 and includes 39 rodeos. The stretch will not make

to his third consecutive trip to the NFR. On the timed-event side during the 2025 Cowboy Christmas tie-down roper Riley Webb was the star. The Denton, Texas, cowboy earned $32,537 during the stretch. That pay day helped power Webb to his third consecutive PRCA Tie

Steer wrestler Tucker Allen, who won his inaugural PRCA World Championship in 2025, embraces Cowboy Christmas. Allen sits 26th in the world standings, but is less than $10,000 behind J.D. Struxness, who is 15th. “Cowboy Christmas is the most lucrative time for cowboys any time of the year because you’re going at rodeos where if they were in their own weekend, they would be the best rodeo in the country, but they’re all during the same time,” Allen said. “So, you could have a bad 4th of July and still win $10,000. And you get to go to some of the coolest rodeos, like, St. Paul (Ore.) is one of my favorites. Then, you could also go to Livingston (Mont.), Cody (Wyo.), and Prescott (Ariz.). Then, you could even go up north to Canada, go to Williams Lake and Ponoka. “There’s no other time of year that you could fly around and live like a rock star and just win money like that. So, it’s super important to us. It’s the most exciting time of the rodeo season.” Allen speaks the truth. Cowboy Christmas is truly a time of the

or break one’s season, but it definitely could give cowboys a jolt as they try and move up the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings. And more im

“I’m the en tering guy. It’s a headache. I

wish they’d let us have a little higher priority, maybe, but the week is amazing. The

logistics of it can be a headache, but they call it Cowboy Christmas for a reason. I mean, we’re all addicted to this sport, and those memories and stories kind of get legendary throughout the year.” Jake Long WORLD CHAMPION TEAM ROPING (HEELER) Down Roping World Championship. “It’s really fun and stressful at the same time,” said Webb, who leads the world standings with $166,694. “I think the most stressful part is getting entered. It’s trying to get a schedule and get it figured out. I haven’t had much luck besides this last year. I was the highest money earner in the timed events, which was really cool “You just try to get to as many as you can and try to make sure you get to the big ones and show up and try to do your job and win as much as possi ble. That’s probably the most stressful week out of the year.”

portantly begin to position them selves to get in the Top 15 in the world standings to qualify for the 2026 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo present ed by Tractor

Supply Company Dec. 3-12 in Las Vegas and compete for coveted gold buckles. A year ago, bull rider

year when contes tants get to truly

Hayes Weight had the best Cowboy Christmas ever setting an earn ings mark with $52,133 earned during the eight-day stretch. A chunk of the Utah cow boy’s earning came when he won the Ponoka (Alberta) Stam pede and collected a $41,106 check. The run powered Weight

do what they love and love what they do.

TRACY RENCK MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA

July 2, 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 5