Breakaway ropers will make their first-ever appearance at the ProRodeo Tour Finale, held this year at the California Rodeo Salinas Sept. 23-26.
The purse for breakaway ropers will be $38,000, including contestant entry fees. They will also receive a $500 appearance fee that will not count toward the world standings.
The Tour Finale will punch tickets to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas for a majority of ProRodeo athletes.
The rest of the rodeo purse will pay out $596,000, including contestant fees, and each contestant in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping (headers and heelers), saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding will receive a $1,500 appearance fee that will not count toward the PRCA | RAM World Standings.
The top 24 in each event will qualify for the Tour Finale, with the top eight coming back to rope Sunday afternoon in the performance, and the top four roping in a clean slate finals for the title.
Most contestants had to go to 35 rodeos to qualify, but breakaway ropers only had to go to 10 because there weren’t as many rodeos that hosted breakaway.
Reigning World Champion Jackie Crawford leads the Tour standings, while Taylor Munsell sits in the number-24 spot. Click here for full tour standings. BRJ