The 2025 ProRodeo regular season ended with fireworks at the Governor’s Cup in South Dakota, an event already being compared to the AFC and NFC Championships before the Super Bowl. With well over a million dollars on the line, the Governor’s Cup reshaped the PRCA standings, deciding World Title races and NFR bubble battles across every event.

In roughstock, Rocker Steiner made history as the first bareback rider to top $300,000 in regular season earnings, cementing himself as the man to beat in Las Vegas. The bull riding race tightened as Ky Hamilton’s monster September put him within striking distance of leaders Stetson Wright and Wacey Schalla, while Tristen Hutchings also surged into contention.

The women’s events delivered drama too, with Halyn Lide and Bailey Bates pulling off clutch wins to punch their first NFR tickets. On the timed event side, Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira reclaimed dominance in team roping, Kyle Lucas earned his first NFR in tie-down roping, and veterans like Shane Hanchey and Lightning Aguilera held on in razor-thin bubble battles.

From record-breaking rides to last-second breakthroughs, the Governor’s Cup set the stage for a thrilling 2025 National Finals Rodeo.