At this point in the ProRodeo season, every weekend matters, especially the ones that don’t look like they will.

There wasn’t a $500,000 or $1 million payday on the schedule, but three Playoff Series rodeos, the Dodge City Roundup, Mountain Valley Stampede, and Douglas County Fair and Rodeo,  offered plenty of opportunity. As the weekend proved, a strong showing at more than one of them can dramatically reshape the World Standings.

Among those who took advantage, the No. 1 bareback rider and No. 1 bull rider in the World.

World No. 1 bareback rider Bradlee Miller kept his foot on the gas with three straight rides of 89 points or better over the weekend. Those rides paid him over $12,000 combined for second in Heber City, Utah and Castle Rock, Colorado and he added another $3,800 for a win at Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo. Miller has now won at least $15,000 each of the last four weekends. With 60 days left in the season, he is about $65,000 away from the regular season earnings record.

Bull rider Luke Mackey has now covered since 17 bulls since July 1 after a 5-for-6 weekend to begin August. He made $19,494 and cleaned up in Kansas, winning Dodge City and Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo in addition to a second place at the Wild Bill Hickock Rodeo. Mackey jumped two spots in the World Standings to No. 4.

Tie-down roper Joel Harris followed up the best week of his ProRodeo career with two more Playoff Series wins. Harris showed no signs of slowing down after winning Spanish Fork and taking second in Salt Lake City. He moved to No. 2 in the World thanks to a $20,000 weekend where he won Dodge City and the Mountain Valley Stampede, making ruins of 7.4 and 7.2 seconds along the way. Since July 20, he has five runs of 7.5 seconds or faster.

Jess Pope won Dodge City for the second time in three years and has won $74,000 since July 1. In that time, he has moved up from No. 10 to No. 3 in the World, made 15 rides of 86 points or better, and won St. Paul in addition to a third-place finish in Salt Lake City and runner-up in two Go-Rounds in Calgary. Over the weekend, Pope also took second at both the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo and Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo.

Sydney Graham set a new WPRA standard pattern record. Graham and her mount Trump were 16.49 seconds in Heber City, Utah, besting the 16.56 set by Hailey Kinsel at the 2020 NFR in Arlington, Texas. Kinsel also had the previous arena record in Heber City at 16.59.

Rusty, Stetson, and Ryder Wright are now 1-2-3 in the PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Standings. The most dominant family in bronc riding controls all three of the top spots thanks to Ryder’s recent surge to No. 3 by was of his recent win in Cheyenne and runner-up finishes at the Home on The Range Champions Ride and Utah Days of ’47. For his part, Rusty took fifth at the Home On the Range Champions Ride and fourth at the Mountain Valley Stampede over the weekend to sneak by an idle Stetson and regain the No. 1 spot. As it stands right now, Rusty has $201,457, Stetson has $200,502, and Ryder has won $187,574.

Steer wrestler JD Struxness boosts NFR case with Dodge City win. In the process, he showed what can happen with one Playoff Series win, even if it’s not a massive rodeo. Struxness began the weekend No. 15 in a crowded bulldogging race, but quickly jumped to much safer 10th place in the World Standings.

No. 1 bull rider Noah Lee continues to score big. The rookie matched his career best with 93 points to win the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo and also went 90 to win the Mountain Valley Stampede. His 14 90+ point rides are the most in the PRCA and Lee has now earned over $285,000 for the season.