When the Cowboy Channel aired the live announcement of the NFR Playoff Series Governor’s Cup in late 2022 about the event set to pay $1 million across eight events in 2023, breakaway ropers had questions—we have answers.
Table of contents
What is the NFR Playoff Series?
First thing’s first. The NFR Playoff Series is the most recent incarnation of what has been known by various names in recent years, but was called the ProRodeo Tour in 2021. Standings are kept throughout the season and there is a championship event at the end of the year.
How do athletes acumulate points?
NFR Playoff Series standings are points based. There are three levels of points based upon the total purse money of a given rodeo.
- Top Tier —more than $650,000 total purse
- Middle Tier — between $649,999 and $325,000
- Bottom Tier — less than $324,999
Points are distributed to each rodeo down to 40th place based on the fastest time or highest score. For rodeos with multiple rounds, the points are calculated based on the average. Tournament rodeos are more complicated, but points are assigned based on how far each competitor advanced through the tournament.
Get all the scoop on points here.
What is different in 2023 with the NFR Playoff Series?
The 2022 NFR Playoff Finale took place in Puyallup, Washington. In 2023, the PRCA announced that the top 24 athletes from the 2023 NFR Playoff Series will compete in Puyallup at the Washington State Fair on the weekend of September 7-10. But that isn’t the close of the Playoff Series, like it was in 2022.
Enter….Sioux Falls Governor’s Cup
After Puyallup, the breakaway ropers who finish in the top four in Puyallup will meet up with the top eight in the 2023 WPRA Playoff Series standings (on the year) and head to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the 2023 Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup.
What is the Governor’s Cup, and why does it matter?
The Governor’s Cup takes place September 28-30, 2023 and offers a payout across eight events of $1 million.
The close of the PRCA and WPRA regular seasons is September 30. That means that the following massive payouts will hit during the final days of the season and it will have an impact on who makes the National Finals Rodeo in December as the buzzer sounds.
Governor’s Cup Format 2023
The Governor’s Cup will allow the 12 qualifying contestants to compete in rounds one and two of competition.
Those rounds will have the following current and unofficial projected payout from the PRCA.:
- $10,000
- $7,500
- $5,000
- $2,500
After the first two full rounds, the top eight breakaway ropers on two runs will advance to Saturday’s round. In Saturday’s clean-slate round, the top four fastest times will advance to a four-man short round. The four-man shootout round wil pay the following amounts as the current and unofficial projected payout from the PRCA.
- $25,000
- $19,000
- $12,000
- $6,000
- $2,555
- $2,555
- $2,555
- $2,555
Here’s the NFR Playoff Series standings as of August 3, 2023 by points and number of rodeos attended (source: WPRA.com).
| 1 | Shelby Boisjoli | 774.88 | 23 |
| 2 | Sarah Angelone | 652.91 | 16 |
| 3 | Taylor Munsell | 553.01 | 26 |
| 4 | Hali Williams | 546.13 | 19 |
| 5 | Danielle Lowman | 532.97 | 25 |
| 6 | Kelsie Domer | 459.13 | 21 |
| 7 | Jackie Crawford | 430.2 | 25 |
| 8 | Cheyanne Guillory | 425.68 | 21 |
| 9 | Kendal Pierson | 412.38 | 23 |
| 10 | Martha Angelone | 406.07 | 23 |
| 11 | Nicole Baggarley | 398.13 | 19 |
| 12 | Joey Williams | 383.08 | 10 |
| 13 | Erin Johnson | 374.9 | 18 |
| 14 | Madison Outhier | 373.71 | 25 |
| 15 | Ashley Goforth | 361.96 | 21 |
| 16 | Bradi Good | 351.14 | 23 |
| 17 | Samantha Fulton | 325.99 | 25 |
| 18 | Macy Young | 309.3 | 18 |
| 19 | Josey Murphy | 278.21 | 26 |
| 20 | Josie Conner | 275.13 | 25 |
| 21 | Rickie Engesser | 257.15 | 17 |
| 22 | Hope Thompson | 227.08 | 26 |
| 23 | Beau Peterson | 225.75 | 25 |
| 24 | Lynn Smith | 215.75 | 14 |
| 25 | Tiffany Schieck | 212.67 | 19 |
Comparatively, here’s how the WPRA world standings are shaping up as of August 08, 2023.
| 1 | Shelby Boisjoli | Stephenville, TX | $106,868.14 | 64 |
| 2 | Hali Williams | Comanche, TX | $105,376.09 | 60 |
| 3 | Martha Angelone | Stephenville, TX | $90,095.41 | 71 |
| 4 | Taylor Munsell | Alva, OK | $87,768.47 | 66 |
| 5 | Sarah Angelone | Lipan, TX | $86,798.29 | 42 |
| 6 | Cheyanne Guillory | Kingston, OK | $72,454.50 | 65 |
| 7 | Joey Williams | Volborg, MT | $71,512.69 | 32 |
| 8 | Jackie Crawford | Stephenville, TX | $68,982.40 | 61 |
| 9 | Kelsie Domer | Dublin, TX | $68,881.42 | 48 |
| 10 | Danielle Lowman | Gilbert, AZ | $58,937.78 | 65 |
| 11 | Erin Johnson | Fowler, CO | $57,069.99 | 37 |
| 12 | Bradi Good | Abilene, TX | $51,784.81 | 63 |
| 13 | Josie Conner | Iowa, LA | $51,768.63 | 69 |
| 14 | Samantha Fulton | Miller, SD | $48,774.19 | 56 |
| 15 | Beau Peterson | Council Grove, KS | $47,567.99 | 70 |
| 16 | Nicole Baggarley | Las Cruces, NM | $46,152.97 | 53 |
| 17 | Tiffany Schieck | Floresville, TX | $45,974.00 | 54 |
| 18 | Kendal Pierson | Wardlow, AB | $44,913.18 | 65 |
| 19 | Rickie Engesser | Spearfish, SD | $44,091.69 | 41 |
| 20 | Madison Outhier | Fulshear, TX | $42,081.75 | 63 |
| 21 | Jordan Jo Hollabaugh | Springtown, TX | $38,352.54 | 58 |
| 22 | Josey Murphy | Keachi, LA | $37,500.93 | 77 |
| 23 | Taylor Hanchey | Carmine, TX | $33,392.05 | 68 |
| 24 | Macy Young | Wittmann, AZ | $33,201.55 | 40 |
| 25 | J J Hampton | Stephenville, TX | $30,491.55 | 57 |
| 26 | Jordi Edens | Gatesville, TX | $30,051.81 | 57 |
| 27 | McKenna Hickson | Lipan, TX | $29,732.75 | 58 |
| 28 | Alli Masters | Leon, IA | $29,372.03 | 36 |
| 29 | Ashley Goforth | Azle, TX | $29,301.75 | 51 |
| 30 | Sawyer Gilbert | Buffalo, SD | $29,003.37 | 34 |
BRJ will continue covering the NFR Playoff Series standings and will provide more information on Puyallup and Sioux Falls as concrete information becomes available from the PRCA and WPRA.
