It is wind-down time for the PRCA full-time road warriors as the 2009 season ended with the final performance of the Tri-State Rodeo in Amarillo, Texas on Sept. 26, plus the final round of the Justin Boots Playoff Series in Omaha, Neb., also ending Sept. 26.
The remaining winnings that can be counted for 2009 are those earned at the Heartland Finals in Waco, Texas, Oct. 9-17—money won that might, in a very few instances, change the standings for the top 15 for Wrangler National Finals Qualifications. Most top 15 slots in each event are pretty well established although the Omaha outcome may change a few players around in the top 15 from their current rankings. Following Waco’s Heartland Championship, the field of players for the 51st WNFR, to be held in Las Vegas Dec. 3-12, will be released, and you can check for the list to pick your winning team.
The Heartland Series was created in 2008 to encourage cowboys to enter rodeos of all sizes and to give emerging stars a chance at some big money. Rodeos with purses of $30,000 were eligible for the series and the championship this second year will offer finals prize money of nearly $500,000. Contestants must have entered at least 30 Heartland rodeos and be ranked in the top 30 in their event to qualify for the finals. You may recall that in 2008, tie-down roper Stran Smith drove all night from Pendleton, Ore., to Carlsbad, N.M. to make his 30th Heartland Rodeo on the last possible day — and won the Heartland Series title on his way to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo where he won the 2008 World Championship!
This year a couple of PRCA steer wrestlers, Darrel Petry from Texas and Casey Martin from Louisiana, and a few other contestants find themselves in the same situation hoping a check at Waco can qualify them for Las Vegas, although it appears it may be the last year for such an option.
According to the PRCA Web site, the Heartland format has been changed to a new series called the All American ProRodeo Series for the 2010 season. It will include more than 450 rodeos from coast to coast but does not specify that $30,000 money must be added, thus all rodeos will be included. The series will again culminate with a championship event held in Waco on Oct. 7-16, 2010,, with nearly $500,000 in prize money, and again, the top 30 series contestant will qualify but will also earn a point for every dollar won at series rodeos, plus receive 50 bonus points per series rodeo where they compete.
Money won at the Waco championships will count toward qualifying for limited-entry rodeos the following season such as Denver, Houston and other big rodeos that take only the top 40 or 50, etc. contestants. However, money won at the championship will not count toward PRCA world standings for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualification.
We attended the slack at the Amarillo rodeo this past week where son K.C. qualified for the progressive round and had his third steer on Sept. 26, giving him a chance to add to his season’s earnings, which will end below the mark for WNFR qualification.
As the song goes, “Some days (years) are diamonds, some days (years) are rocks, some doors are open, some roads are blocked …”
As we watched and listened to road companions each heading their separate ways, there were saddles, gear, clothes unloaded from rigs, “good-byes” and “good-lucks” wished, hand shakes made and backs slapped.
Conversations about next season included heading to the “All-American ProRodeo Series” rodeos for 2010 which begin next week for those who didn’t end the season high enough in the standings hope to qualify for Denver in January, Fort Worth in February, Houston in March, etc. Others who were already assured a spot in those “limited-entry” rodeos headed home for some time off, and of course, the top 15ers knew they had to hit the practice pens hard to prepare for Las Vegas.
One thing for sure, each was “road-weary” and ready for some “RnR” time at home with family and loved ones before their next trip on the rodeo road.
Las Animas, Colo. —
