RodeoHouston paid out a staggering $2.2 million and sent shockwaves through the PRCA World Standings, shaking up the leaderboard in dramatic fashion. With that kind of money on the line, it’s no surprise that Houston is dominating the conversation in this week’s Monday Notebook.

Seven of the nine RodeoHouston winners are now No. 1 in their respective World Standings. That $65,000 payday certainly goes a long way this time of year. Tucker Allen leads the steer wrestling ($91,468), while Derrick Begay and Colter Todd ($89,183) lead both sides of the team roping, Ryder Wright ($131,901) is dominating the saddle bronc riding while fellow reigning World Champions Riley Webb ($101,324) and Kassie Mowry ($101,427) lead the tie-down roping and barrel racing. Finally, breakaway roping has not been officially calculated, but Taylor Munsell will undoubtedly lead there as well.

Bareback rider Rocker Steiner had made just $125 and one ride in the 80s this year prior to RodeoHouston, now he is No. 2 in the World Standings. Without Houston, I don’t know if I’d be rodeoing this summer,” Steiner said after turning his fortunes. He amassed more than $70,000 for his performance in NRG Stadium and has now won the first three legs of the Texas Swing over the last two seasons. He sealed his win at RodeoHouston with his highest marked ride of the season, 91 points, and made six straight rides of 80.5 or better.

Bull rider Tristen Hutchings is now 13-of-18 on the year after a 5-for-6 performance in Houston. Hutchings rode more bulls than any other cowboy in Houston and if there was any doubt he deserved the title, he was 91.5 in the Shootout to put that to rest. His season did not get started until San Antonio in early February, but he is already No. 3 in the PRCA World Standings as he looks for a fourth straight Top 10 finish.

Saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright is now $15,000 ahead of Damian Brennan’s regular season record-breaking pace from a year ago. Wright was already No. 3 in the World before Houston and then he outdid Kolby Wanchuk in a ride off to claim the $65,000 first place prize on Sunday. It was Wright’s first RodeoHouston title and it brought his season earnings to $131,901. Last year, Damian Brennan had $116,000 to his name after winning Houston and the Aussie went on to make a PRCA-record $280,035. Wright’s total right now would have him in the NFR if he didn’t a make a dollar the rest of the season based on last year’s standings.

Wacey Schalla went 90 in Austin and made the Short Round in Houston. Schalla and Bradlee Miller are the only two cowboys on earth who can claim they are No. 1 without winning Houston. Still, Schalla did not disappoint inside NRG Stadium as he covered four bulls and made $28,000 for splitting second. That won’t be the last big Texas Swing check coming his way, either. Schalla currently leads the Long Round at Rodeo Austin by 3.5 points after making a 90.5-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Dump Truck.

Saddle bronc rider Chase Brooks took third in Houston and currently leads Rodeo Austin. Brooks was fourth in his Super Series, fourth in the Semifinal, and third in the Championship Round, living on the edge all the way through Houston. However, if you survive and advance and make it to the Four-Man Shootout, there’s a five-figure payday on the other side. Brooks was a beneficiary of that as his 86-point ride in the Shootout was worth $20,000 and with an 87 on the board in Austin, he is sharing first place with Stetson Wright.

Bareback rider Bradlee Miller remains No. 1 in the PRCA World Standings after a second place finish in Houston and a win in Nacogdoches. Miller has been remarkably consistent all season long and did all he could to win Houston with 89.5 points on Blasting Sand in the Short Round. Since Jan. 1, he has made 23 rides of 82 points or better, all of them have gotten him a check except one, the Championship Round in Houston, and that’s because it doesn’t pay.

Tie-down roper Riley Webb is now over $100,000 and is almost on pace to take back his Regular Season Earnings Record. Riley Webb has made $101,324 compared to Shad Mayfield’s $107,379 at this time a year ago. If Webb were to break Mayfield’s PRCA Regular Season Earnings record, it would be the fourth straight year that record has changed hands between Mayfield and Webb.

Kassie Mowry and Hailey Kinsel had another epic barrel racing battle, this time in Houston rather than Las Vegas. It was a true horse race in the Finals in the barrel racing with Kassie Mowry clocking a 14.50-second run as the last cowgirl out to best Hailey Kinsel by two hundredths of a second. At the 2024 NFR, these two won eight of the 10 rounds with Mowry winning the Gold Buckle and Kinsel finishing second.

Tucker Allen has twice as much money earned as any other steer wrestler following RodeoHouston win. Allen finished Houston with three straight runs of 5.2 or faster and a 4.2 to seal it and he now has $91,468 to his name. The next closest bulldogger, Houston runner-up Holden Myers, has $44,370. Only five steer wrestlers have more than $30,000.