It’s the final weekend of the ProRodeo season, but no regular season is complete these days without the $1.4 million opportunity that is the Governor’s Cup.

Whether you’re on the bubble fighting for your first NFR or your 16th, trying to close the gap on No. 1, or pull away for a Gold Buckle, it all comes down to Sioux Falls. The story of the season can’t be told without what happens there from Sept. 26–28, so we’ve highlighted some names to watch closely.

BAREBACK RIDING

No. 1 Rocker Steiner

Steiner leads the World Standings by more than $60,000 and has been a threat to win everywhere he’s competed this season, picking up 14 victories along the way. He enters the Governor’s Cup having won a check on his last four rides, including a 90-pointer for second place in Puyallup.

No. 4 Sam Petersen: Petersen is in the midst of the best stretch of the best season of his career. Since Sept. 10, he has totaled $27,888 and he’s earned $38,659 overall in September.

No. 17 Tilden Hooper: Hooper jumped from No. 21 to No. 17 in the World Standings thanks to his win at the Roughrider Cup last weekend and will look to take advantage of his Governor’s Cup opportunity. He is currently $2,040 out of an NFR spot, but each Long Round winner gets $11,910 in Sioux Falls.

No. 18 Jacob Lees: In 2023, Lees went from outside the Top 15 into the NFR at the Governor’s Cup by winning $15,000 in the first two rounds. He will look to do so again, entering $6,112 back of No. 15 Mason Clements.

STEER WRESTLING

No. 2 Jesse Brown: Brown enters as the champion of the first leg of the Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup and has had success here before, making the Finals and finishing fourth behind four straight runs of 4.4 or better a year ago.

No. 17 Gavin Soileau: Soileau rose from No. 22 to No. 17 in the World Standings after earning $9,447 by winning the Roughrider Cup. He stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds there, and if he matches that run even once this weekend, it could be enough to secure his first career NFR berth. He is about $1,000 out of the 15th spot.

No. 18 Mike McGinn: McGinn is only $161 behind Soileau which means the Governor’s Cup presents him a very similar opportunity. He was eighth at the Roughrider Cup and sixth in Pendleton the last two weekends.

No. 19 Cody Devers: Devers is only $572 behind McGinn and thus just $1,774 out of the final NFR spot. He made runs of 5.9 and 4.1 seconds in his lone Governor’s Cup appearance in 2023.

TEAM ROPING 

No. 2 Clay Smith/No. 12 Nicky Northcott: In September, this pair has already set an arena record in Puyallup, finished second there, and finished second at the Roughrider Cup to win a total of $22,051. Smith is a 34-year-old two-time World Champion, Northcott is an 18-year-old rookie who won just about everything in the State of Texas growing up.

No. 8 Tyler Wade/No. 6 Wesley Thorp: The reigning World Champions have struggled a bit lately by their own lofty standards and have a chance to go fast on a setup similar to the Thomas & Mack. They have finished third both years at this event and have five runs of four flat or better.

No. 16 Luke Brown/No. 15 Trey Yates: Brown and Yates are both on the bubble, although clearly in two very different spots right now. Brown is $942 out while Yates is safe by $1,141. Brown has made the Finals at the Governor’s Cup both years of its existence while Yates has never roped here.

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

No. 2 Damian Brennan: Brennan has already made $195,527 during the Summer Run to go from No. 14 to No. 2 in the World so there’s no reason to believe he couldn’t add on another $10,000+. He is coming off of a $17,935 payday for a victory at the Roughrider Cup.

No. 5 Brody Wells: Wells earned $143,388 during the Summer Run but has yet to cash a check in September. A strong performance in Sioux Falls could wipe out that dry spell entirely.

No. 17 Logan Hay: Hay made the Governor’s Cup by cracking the all-Canadian Top 4 in Puyallup. Hay, who has always had a knack for making bid rides, has been 87 points or better on five of his last 11 horses.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

No. 1 Riley Webb: Webb has an opportunity to become the first tie-down roper to earn $300,000 in a regular season and extend his already $50,000+ lead as he tries to make it three Gold Buckles in a row. He made the Semifinals a year ago.

No. 2 Shad Mayfield: If there’s anyone equipped to cut into Webb’s lead the Governor’s Cup, it is Mayfield. The 2024 All-Around World Champion turned in times of 7.2, 7.1 and 6.9 seconds on his last three runs to win $39,625 here a year ago.

No. 3 Riley Pruitt: Pruitt is having the best year of his career and is riding a hot streak in September, having made the Finals in Puyallup and won the Roughrider Cup.

No. 16 Shane Hanchey: Hanchey is looking to extend his consecutive NFR streak to 16 and will arrive in Sioux Falls just $729 behind No. 15 Kyle Lucas.

BREAKAWAY ROPING 

No. 2 Taylor Munsell: With No. 1 Shelby Boisjoli-Meged not competing in Sioux Falls, Munsell has an opportunity to become the cowgirl to beat enter the NFBR. She placed in two rounds here a year ago.

No. 3 Josie Conner: Boisjoli-Meged and Munsell have put a bit of difference between themselves and the rest of the field, but Conner could join them up in the upper echelon of the WPRA World Standings with a win this weekend.

No. 20 Martha Angelone: Despite being ranked No. 20 in the World and being $21,000 out of an NFR spot, Angelone has more than enough talent to string together four straight times in the 2s and make an improbable NFR run.

BARREL RACING

No. 3 Emily Beisel: In the inaugural year of the event, Beisel won all four rounds, earning $43,750 in the process. Entering the NFR, her third-place ranking in the World Standings would be the highest of her now seven career trips.

No. 4 Hailey Kinsel: Kinsel is the reigning champion here, but has not a check since the Caldwell Night Rodeo on Aug. 16. The similar setup to the Thomas & Mack should favor someone who like Kinsel who won four rounds there a year ago.

No. 15 Tricia Aldridge: In her first Governor’s Cup appearance, Aldridge needs to make enough to hold off McKenna Coronado, whom she leads by $4,063.

BULL RIDING

No. 2 Wacey Schalla: With Stetson Wright out, Schalla can claim the No. 1 spot in the PRCA World Standings heading into the NFR if he earns $12,002 at the Governor’s Cup. However, he enters the event on a streak of six consecutive buckoffs.

No. 3 Ky Hamilton: Hamilton has already finished the season on a high note by making more than $80,000 since Aug. 29, but adding even more at the Governor’s Cup certainly would not hurt. He has covered 8 of his last 12 bulls.

No. 20 Clayton Sellars: A late addition to the field, Sellars needs $18,480 to catch No. 15 Luke Mackey. He rode three in a row last weekend and you never know what will happen in the bull riding when ground money comes into play.

No. 21 Colten Fritzlan: For Fritzlan, it’s a very similar story to Sellars. He needs $21,375, but if he strings together four straight qualified rides, he could certainly make that and more.

Permitholder Hayden Welsh: The 19-year-old has already set a record with $147,137 on his permit and could add to that total while continuing to prove he belongs among the World’s best, just as he did when he won the Xtreme Bulls Finale earlier this month.