BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
In ProRodeo, the name of the game is money. At the end of the day, that’s all that counts. Whoever has the most wins the Gold Buckle, and there’s never been more money up for grabs.
This past weekend, the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup was hosted for the second time in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The event paid out over $1 million, including $30,000 to each winner, which was more than enough to change the fortunes of several cowboys.
The weekend before, the North Dakota Roughrider Cup had a total payout exceeding $500,000.
That $1.5 million influx of cash led to three regular-season earnings records falling. Dalton Massey broke his own record with $203,013. Shad Mayfield fulfilled his promise, breaking Riley Webb’s record (after setting it himself in 2022). And Damian Brennan shattered Sage Newman’s saddle bronc riding record with $280,019.
Just two years ago, some events had never seen a cowboy clear $200,000 in a regular season. This year, it happened 23 times. As recently as 2014, that kind of money could’ve won you a Gold Buckle in some events.
It’s a great time to be a cowboy. Now, lets get into more of the nitty gritty from the final weekend of the regular season.
- Two team ropers from outside the Top 20 made the NFR at the Governor’s Cup. Kollin VonAhn, ranked 21st among headers, and his partner Andrew Ward, who had already secured his spot in the NFR, won the rodeo with a time of 3.9 seconds. The victory catapulted VonAhn to No. 8 in the PRCA World Standings. It will be his first NFR appearance since 2015, when he won a Gold Buckle. This is also his first year roping with Ward. Cyle Denison entered even lower, at No. 23, but he and Tanner Braden made over $22,000 to move Denison to No. 12 in the World.
- Jess Pope won the Governor’s Cup to go from No. 31 to No. 6 over the course of 100 Rodeos in 100 Days. For the second straight summer, Pope had a long way to go and to reach the NFR and both years he has managed to make it back to Vegas. This year, he will enter the sixth ranked man in the World after entering the Governor’s Cup No. 13. Since Aug. 30, Pope has won $74,000.
- Five-time World Champion Tyler Waguespack earned a spot in the NFR despite missing most of June and July. It’s been a wild two weeks for three-time reigning World Champion steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack. After winning the Roughrider Cup, he jumped from outside the Top 20 to No. 13 in the standings. For the final weekend of the season, Waguespack had to compete in four different rodeos since he didn’t qualify for the Governor’s Cup, while Nos. 16 and 17 were both in Sioux Falls. At one point on Friday, it looked like Waguespack might miss out on the NFR, but he ultimately secured the No. 14 spot after placing at three rodeos.
- The No. 1 spot changed hands for the fourth consecutive week in the PRCA Bull Riding World Standings. Hayes Weight is now No. 1. Hayes Weight, TJ Gray, Jace Trosclair, and Josh Frost are the top four bull riders in the PRCA, and in reverse order, each has held the top spot in the World Standings during the final month of the season. Weight ultimately edged out Gray by $3,000 for the No. 1 position entering the NFR, finishing with $236,010 after taking second at the Governor’s Cup. These four riders are separated by less than $24,000, and Governor’s Cup Champion Clayton Sellars and rookie Jeter Lawrence have also surpassed $200,000 for the year.
- Hunter Herrin went from No. 16 to No. 12 in the World despite a 34.6-second run in Round 1 of the Governor’s Cup. Herrin’s most crucial run of the season also turned out to be his slowest. Despite tying one in 24.6 seconds and breaking the barrier in Round 1, he was one of eight cowboys to post two qualified times in the first two rounds, securing the last spot in the Semifinals. From there, he delivered runs of 7.6, 7.3, and 7.1 seconds (in the Finals) to comfortably qualify for his 14th NFR, finishing 12th in the world. None of it would have been possible without finishing the job in Round 1.
- Shelby Boisjoli-Meged and Shad Mayfield both went back-to-back at the Governor’s Cup. Meged and Mayfield are the only two to win the event in breakaway roping and tie-down roping respectively and both did so in style on Saturay. Meged was 1.6 seconds in the Finals, while Mayfield was 6.9. Both are the fastest run in their event’s history.
