Logan Allen and Trent Vaught had never roped together prior to the 2024 Great Lakes Circuit Finals, but they walked away with the average title Nov. 16, a first for the Iowa and Arkansas men.

Allen, 38, and Vaught, 30, roped three steers in 19.1 seconds to pocket a total of $8,060 after placing in every round. The 2024 trip to Louisville, Kentucky, was Allen’s first in the team roping, but he’s qualified 14 times in the saddle bronc riding and three times in the bull riding. When Saturday night rolled around, a sold-out show with 14,000 people in the stands, the realization kicked in.

“I was more just anxious because I was sitting there, we were last out because we were high team, and I wished I could just go,” Allen said. “Then everybody goes in front of us and it gets a little closer, and I’m looking at the bucking chutes, watching everybody saddle, and I’m like, I wish I was saddling the dirtiest, rankest bronc right now because I’m way more comfortable there.”

On the contrary, Vaught’s made the trip to Freedom Hall four times in the team roping, and it’s a relief to finally add the title to his resume. 

“It took me four years,” Vaught said with a laugh. “It’s exciting to get it done. The people and victory laps make it exciting. I think it’s a lot of fun getting to do it in front of more people.”

Smooth gets the win

Allen and Vaught didn’t rope together during the regular season, but they both made it as individuals 12^th in the standings. Knowing that dropping coils and being 4.0 wasn’t going to be their run, they aimed to start the week off with a solid, clean run they could build off for the aggregate. 

“I knew we were going to be first out the first night, and Chance—my brother-in-law who works for me—we would rope steers all day every day on colts,” Allen explained. “And then we’d get on our good horses, and I’d head for him and we’d run three steers, basically just a little mock setup. I’d say, ‘OK, I’m first out, I know it’s going to be point of the shoulder at minimum,’ and so we’d practice it. I would just always say, let’s get our first steer down. I knew if I went to Louisville first out, got our first steer down in some kind of 6.0-second run, it would set up something good for the rest of the week.”

Allen and Vaught kicked off the circuit finals Nov. 14, with a 6.2-second run to split third, fourth and fifth in the round for $733 a man. They kept things rolling with a 5.4 in Round 2 to win second in the round and $2,198 each. They entered Round 3 first in the average and drew a steer that stepped left.

“I think it worked out great because it didn’t let Trent relax,” Allen said. “He had to get up there and heel him before we got into the wall. He heeled the crap out of him. It took our mind from just being clean to we had to be aggressive and get him.”

They won fourth in the round with a 7.5 for $733 a man to clinch the average for $4,396 apiece. 

“It’s the best it’s been since I’ve been there, but the steers were also better, so that makes the roping better too,” Vaught said. 

Louisville Horsepower

Allen rode two horses in Louisville: Two Jumps and Mac. Having two solid horses allowed him to be more strategic and choose his horsepower based on their draw. Two Jumps got the call in Rounds 1 and 3, and Mac came in clutch in Round 2 on a softer steer.

“On Two Jumps, I didn’t want to see neck rope and then the next night come back and ask him to see halfway out,” Allen said. “The third night, if we were sitting good in the average, I knew I wasn’t going to have the slow one since we already had him; I was going to have to see neck rope again. I still wanted to ride Mac—he’s the one that got me there, so part of me was like, you deserve to go. I just thought I’d keep him for a longer score and then keep the other one for a little bit quicker, and it ended up working out.”

Vaught’s 10-year-old gelding Gunner got the call on the heel side each night.

“He’s really my only good one,” Vaught said. “He is just easy, stays free and keeps his feet moving. He doesn’t ever cheat me.”

See ya in July

Allen and Vaught will rope together again next July at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, a rodeo Allen didn’t think he’d make again after swapping ends of the arena. For Vaught, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.

“it’s a big opportunity to go up against the best and see where you line up,” Vaught said.

The post Logan Allen and Trent Vaught Pair Up for 2024 Great Lakes Circuit Finals Win appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

As young adults embark on the best four years of their lives as they head to college each fall, thousands of young rodeo athletes are also preparing for the next step in their budding careers: college rodeo.

Since 1949, the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association has given college students the opportunity to develop their skills inside the arena while also furthering their education. With hopes of making the College National Finals Rodeo, college rodeo is an influential chapter for rodeo athletes prior to the professional level. But, new chapters can be intimidating. So, how does college rodeo work?

So, what is college rodeo and NIRA?

The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association gives students enrolled in a college or university the opportunity to continue their rodeo careers after high school. With over with over 135 colleges and universities with sanctioned NIRA organizations and over 100 rodeos a year, NIRA continues to offer college athletes the opportunity to develop their rodeo careers while simultaneously furthering their education. Students must be in good standing and meet specific academic requirements to be eligible to rodeo. A student has six years of eligibility from the date of high school graduation to compete in college rodeo with a limit of rodeoing four years, plus a fifth if pursuing a masters degree or serving as a student region director. Each member school has a coach or advisor to oversee practices, aid in the membership process, ensure students are eligible and help students through this chapter of school, rodeo and life.

Regions? How does that work?

NIRA is divided into 11 geographical regions across the United States. Each region has roughly 10 rodeos a year where athletes work to earn a trip to the College National Finals Rodeo, held in Casper, Wyoming, each June. Your college determines what region you will compete in. The region breakdown is as follows:

• Big Sky Region: Consists of colleges and universities in Montana and Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming.
• Central Plains Region: Consists of colleges and universities in Kansas, Oklahoma and the northwest corner of Missouri, west of I35.
• Central Rocky Mountain Region: Consists of colleges and universities in Wyoming, Colorado and Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska.
• Grand Canyon Region: Consists of colleges and universities in Arizona; New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico; Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico; San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico; Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, New Mexico; New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico; Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexicos; and ENMU – Ruidoso in Ruidoso, New Mexico.
• Great Plains Region: Consists of colleges and universities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• Northwest Region Consists of colleges and universities in Oregon, Washington, the northern panhandle of Idaho (bound by the Salmon River to the south) and that part of Southern Idaho within the boundaries of Canyon County College of Idaho; Caldwell, Idaho; and Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia.
• Ozark Region: Consists of colleges and universities of Arkansas, the part of Louisiana north of the Red River and the Mississippi River, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Indiana, Eastern Louisiana, Ohio and Illinois.
• Rocky Mountain Region: Consists of colleges and universities in Utah and Idaho (south of the Salmon River), Colorado Mesa University and Colorado Northwestern Community College.
• Southern Region: Consists of colleges and universities in East Texas (all member schools east of I35, Denton, Fort Worth, Waco, Austin, Uvalde and down Eagle Pass) and the part of Louisiana south of the Red River and the Mississippi River.
• Southwest Region: Consists of colleges and universities in New Mexico and West Texas (all member schools west of I35, Denton, Fort Worth, Waco, Austin, Uvalde and and down Eagle Pass)
• West Coast Region: Consists of colleges and universities in California and Nevada.

To see what specific schools are in each region, click HERE.

Do all schools have college rodeo programs? What happens if mine doesn’t?

No, not all schools have college rodeo programs—these are called non-member schools. Have no fear, though, you can still rodeo as an independent. To college rodeo at a non-member school, students need to become an independent member of NIRA by applying individually (if you are at a member school, typically your coach or program advisor will do this for you). For independents, you will typically be required to have your school administration sign and verify your status.

Can I rodeo at a junior college?

Absolutely! There are many junior colleges with NIRA programs (and successful ones, at that). As long as the school is accredited and in good standings, you’re good to rodeo.

How do I become a NIRA member?

To become a NIRA member, you must be enrolled in an accredited college. At the beginning of the school year, students will fill out a membership form and pay their dues, often with the help of their coach or advisor. Remember: If you are at a non-member school, you must fill out an independent membership form. Students must be eligible and in good standing to compete at their regional rodeos.

Wait, we have to actually be…students?

You sure do—that’s why it’s college rodeo. To be eligible, students must:

• Be enrolled at a college or university listed in the Accredited Institutions of Post Secondary Education publication 
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher 
• Take at least 12 academic credits per term 
• Be in good standing 

What’s this WCRA College Trifecta?

College rodeo athletes have been given the opportunity of a lifetime with the WCRA College Trifecta. NIRA and the WCRA have teamed up to offer a $10,000 Top Hand Bonus at the 2025 CNFR. The Top Hand Bonus will award a total of $10,000 in cash to the contestants who earn the highest points in any single event at the CNFR and have nominated with the WCRA. The Top Hand Bonus will be awarded to any college rodeo athlete who:

• Wins their event in their region
• Wins at least one go-round at the CNFR in said event
• Wins the CNFR national title in that event
• The athlete must have nominated with WCRA at the CNFR to be eligible for the bonus.

If more than one athlete completes the trifecta, then those athletes will split the bonus.

The post What is College Rodeo? appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

And the 2024 Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year goes to…Cody Johnson, for the musical masterpiece he calls “Leather!” Let the record show that that’s Cody’s own roping hand on that album cover. This guy’s cowboy songs are legit, because he is one. And a win for him is a win for our entire Western world, because CoJo’s hell bent on keeping country in country music. 

“People have poured their passion—hearts and souls—into this album,” beamed the happy CMA champ, who was quick to credit others who gave all alongside him to “Leather.”

Johnson, who sang a duet of “I’m Gonna Love You” with Carrie Underwood at last night’s CMAs, team ropes every chance he gets when not performing center stage. He poured his heart and soul into another passion project in recent times. That resulted in the inaugural Cody Johnson Championship Event, which was a weeklong rope-a-thon in Belton, Texas in October. Andrew Ward and Jake Long left the first-ever CoJo Open $32,500 richer, and pulling brand new gooseneck stock combo Bloomer Trailers with shiny new Bill Fick Ford F-350 dually trucks. 

“Cody knows who we are, because he’s one of us,” added World Champion Team Roper Colby Lovell. “He lives it, and he means it when he sings about it. Cody’s our concrete cowboy with the power to stand up for rodeo, ranching and cowboys in places where people judge from the outside in. He’s worked his hands to the bone, so he’s not a guy who’s ever going to forget where he came from. Cody Johnson has brought the cowboy hat back.”

“Cody’s stayed true to himself, and stuck to his guns,” said World Champion Team Roper Kaleb Driggers. “He’s not afraid to get up on that stage and talk about his belief in God, love for America and everything we stand for as cowboys.” 

Cody Johnson lives it every day, and it shows.

“Team roping has all but consumed my life since 2020, and roping is what I do to get away from the smoke and lights,” Cody said. “When I’m out there horseback with a rope in my hand, I just get to be who I am at the core, and that’s a cowboy.”

Congratulations, CoJo!

The post One of Our Own Wins 2024 CMA Award: Congratulations to CoJo!  appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

Rhen Richard and SJR Diamond Bond have been a force in the rope horse futurity game since the horse’s 4-year-old year, and he ended his aged-event career with a bang, winning the Gold Buckle Futurities 6-and-Under Heading Nov. 16 in Abilene, Texas.

The son of CD Diamond out of ARC Its Go Time by One Time Pepto won the average by 10 full points with a 919.35 for $11,000, and he picked up another $19,000 for first in the Elite Stallion Incentive—of which $9,500 will go to Richard’s A&C Racing and Roping and $9,500 will go to CD Diamond’s owners at San Juan Ranches. The horse won another $9,000 in the Elite Breeder’s Incentive, of which $4,500 will go to Richard and $4,500 will go to San Juan Ranches, too. 

We caught up with Richard after his final big win in the show business on SJR Diamond Bond.

TRJ: Was this your first time at a Gold Buckle Futurity?

Rhen Richard: Yep.

TRJ: Now that you’re a full-time futurity trainer, do you have time for futurities all over the country, or what finally made you come to this one?

RR: We came because we knew it was a good event. Before, we just didn’t have the right horses. It’s not that we didn’t want to come, you know what I mean? I’ve been a bit horse poor all year, and I just got a couple horses back this fall, so it made sense to come now. It doesn’t make sense to drive here when you only have two horses to show. That’s why we missed the first ones.

TRJ: I asked you this yesterday, but you didn’t really have an answer. The yellow horse, he’s six, right? Going to be seven. What do you want his future to be?

RR: I don’t know. He has the potential to be a rodeo horse, but it’s hard to say. I’ve got a couple of guys interested in him, but it has to fit, you know what I mean? He’s a lot of horse but a good one. I’m not planning on rodeoing, but I’m not ruling it out either. If someone has to have him, I’ll sell him. If not, I’ll keep him and try to do him right.

TRJ: Does Chad (Richard’s dad) put much pressure on you when it comes to those decisions?

RR: Not really. When you have a good horse, it’s not hard to sell. I’ve never tried to sell that horse. When it’s time, I think he’ll sell easily.

TRJ: What did he do well this week? What did the judges like about him yesterday?

RR: He was flashy and worked great yesterday. He scored well, ran hard, and was physical pulling. It would take something really good to beat him. He’s tough when he puts a day together. He was solid everywhere.

TRJ: He’s one of the few you didn’t raise. How does he fit into your program with those bred to run?

RR: When he puts his run together, it feels good. But I’m used to horses with a lot of run who don’t have to give everything in the tank. With him, sometimes I’m asking for everything he has, which is tough mentally for a young horse. Managing a horse like that is harder than managing one like Kenny’s Brookstone, who doesn’t have to give everything to perform well.

TRJ: What about the rest of your program? Is it more winter’s version-centered or racehorse-centered for the next couple of years?

RR: We’ve got a lot of crosses. Our coming 2-year-olds include four or six from racehorse lines by Reys Smokin Dually out of running mares. We’re starting to see the lines we like on the bottom side, especially since I’ve been home riding two-year-olds all summer. Horses from certain lines are really promising.

TRJ: For everyone who doesn’t know, what is that line?

Rhen Richard: It goes back to a mare named Runninn Brook Gal who won the All-American Futurity, out of a mare called RJK Runaway. We bred multiple studs to that mare and now have about ten mares going back to that line. It’s working well on the cross, producing good horses like Kynis Brookstone and Shes Mischievous.

TRJ: Shes Mischievous was a horse Kaden trained and showed. But you’ve been riding her lately?

Rhen Richard: Yes, I took her to Cody Johnson. She had a chance to win but broke a barrier once. She’s proving that futurity horses can make rodeo horses. She’s always been a standout.

TRJ: What’s her lineage?

Rhen Richard: She’s Winners Version out of a mare called Miss Mischievous, who goes back to that Runnnin Brook Gal line. We plan to flush her this spring for some cool stuff.

TRJ: What about your rodeo horses? Did Deets get sold?

Rhen Richard: Deets got hurt last year right before the NFR, which is what I planned on riding. We never figured out what it was, but he’s just started coming back. It’s hard to say I won’t rodeo because he’s a horse you can win on anywhere. I sold Rich, the horse I rode at the NFR last year, to Wyatt Bray. My old horse is 23 and done. The yellow horse and the black mare are situational. If I wanted to rodeo, I could.

TRJ: And, before we go, Kaden just kicked your butt in the 4-and-under heading, right?

Rhen Richard: Yes, he does a great job. I can get on any of his horses and feel like I can win. He needs to know he’s that good. The horse he just won on is nice, with the potential to be a top rodeo horse. Caden’s always got horses that can win at any level. It’s great to see him succeed.

Related Articles:

• SJR Diamond Bond and Rhen Richard Win Second Consecutive Royal Crown 4-&-Under of 2022
• Richard and SJR Diamond Bond, Rice and First Class Vintage Claim Royal 4-Year-Old Titles in Buckeye
• SJR Diamond Billy & Billie Jack Saebens Get 6-&-Under *Heading* Win for $39K at First Gold Buckle Futurity
• NOPE, Different Buckskin: Cody Snow to Debut Southern Ranches’ Futurity Standout SJR Diamond Billy at Bob Feist Invitational
• Marepower: Tauna Alcorn and Mike Bacon Win $122K Riata #12.5 on SJR Diamond Metalica and Play Like Boon

The post SJR Diamond Bond Closes $70K Futurity Career with Gold Buckle Maturity Win in Abilene appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

Bradley Massey and Zack Mabry took control of the 2024 Southeastern Circuit this spring and never looked back, winning the year-end titles with $25,200.55 for Massey and $24,307.55 for Mabry. 

The Florida and Alabama team went into the Southeastern Circuit Finals Nov. 8-10, in Davie, Florida, with $6,143.78 and $11,470.47 leads, respectively. They added $2,225 a man to seal the deal on Massey’s fifth year-end title—one of which was on the heel side—and Mabry’s second.

“I still work at it like I’m 20, I still rope three or four days a week,” Massey, 38, said. “I always feel like I have a pretty good horse for down here, and probably the biggest thing is that almost every year I have one of the best heelers. And if I do my job, most of the time, I win. There’s a lot of guys down here that are roping good, too. I mean, Marcus Theriot is down here almost every year, Keven Daniel made the Finals four times—there’s a lot of guys that rope good. So, I don’t think it’s luck, but I just kind of got it figured out somehow or another.”

For Mabry, the second title is just as sweet, and being able to finish what they started is the cherry on top.

“it’s always good to be able to win the circuit,” Mabry, 33, said. “I’m not a guy that’s going to strike out and go to Reno or anything, so winning the circuit’s kind of something that a guy that stays home can do. It means a lot.”

Kicking it off early

Getting an early start on the season was key in Massey and Mabry’s 2024 success. The team picked up $2,482 a man for second at Northwest Florida Championship Rodeo in Bonifay Oct. 5-7, 2023, and $2,865 each after winning the 10th Annual Arcadia Fall Rodeo (Florida) Oct. 21-22. 

February and March are prime time in the Southeastern Circuit with a sizable portion of their rodeos taking place in the spring, and they raked in $12,294 a man between from January to March.

“I don’t think anything in our run was necessarily that dominant, but I think that we caught some steers early in the year that were big steers, and then we just kept placing along,” Mabry said. “It seemed like we hit at a few of the bigger rodeos, and that helped, but what helped us the most is we never had a month or two where we got cold; it’s not like we were red hot, it just was kind of steady.”

The Southeast summers might be hot, but Massey and Mabry actually slowed down for much of the summer. Regardless, when the regular season ended, Massey led the pack with $22,975.50 won on the year and Mabry with $22,082.50.

Looking to 2025

As Massey continues to add year-end titles to his resume, he begins to etch himself in the Southeastern Circuit history books. With a family at home, his goals on the circuit front keep him plenty busy.

“I’ve worked at it for a long time,” Massey said. “I’ve never went and really tried to make the NFR—I always had different goals. I know a lot of people can do it with families, but I’ve never felt that I could. My boys play travel baseball, my girl rodeos, and when I was young, I never felt like I roped good enough. Then when I got to where I felt like I roped pretty good, I felt like I had too much other stuff going. So, I’ve always put a lot of emphasis on [winning the circuit].”

But with a chance at some of the 2025 winter rodeos and their tickets punched for July’s NFR Open in Colorado Springs, there’s a chance Massey and Mabry may enter outside the circuit here and there.

“I think there’s an outside chance,” Mabry said. “We’ve still got a chance, maybe, to get into San Antonio and Houston. If we were to get into San Antonio and Houston again and did good, we might enter around a little bit. And I bet that when we go out [to Colorado Springs], we’ve talked about entering for three or four weeks, mainly just because I want to go.”

The post Bradley Massey and Zack Mabry Seal the Deal on 2024 Southeastern Circuit Year-End Titles appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

Koby Sanchez and Trace Porter took home the 2024 Southeastern Circuit Finals win after roping three steers in 17.6 seconds in Davie, Florida, Nov. 8-10.

The Louisiana team had their sights set on the NFR Open in July, especially after having a successful July trip out west in 2024. Now, they’re locked in for 2025.

“The NFR Open has always been a goal to try to get to through the average from our circuit finals,” Sanchez, 23, said. “But our rounds pay so good—it’s almost $3,000 round. You still can win a lot of money even if you’re not in the average. So, it kind of goes both ways. But getting to Colorado Springs is a really, really big plus to stay hooked to that average.”

For Porter, who finished 22^nd in the world standings in 2018, he’s been itching to rodeo hard again. Thanks to their high-paying circuit finals, their $7,788 weekend may have set them up to hit the road again in 2025.

“We started some businesses, but I just wanted to go again,” Porter, 32, said. “We started at Springdale and went all the way to the Salt Lake rodeos. We stayed gone probably four weeks just to see how we stood as a team. We actually did some winning; we won right at $10,000 in three weeks. So, this win down here can set us up where we can maybe actually rodeo a little bit.”

How to win the Southeastern Circuit Finals

Sanchez and Porter went into Davie with their sights set on the average and the NFR Open.

“The first round, we didn’t really know a lot about the steers,” Porter said. “We just wanted to get one down and start playing the average game. [Koby] had done pretty good in the past of roping good down there, but neither of us had ever done any good in the average. So, we just wanted to start playing the numbers game, just knocking them down.” 

Their first steer was a touch strong, but they made him work and laid the foundation for the average race with a 7.1-second run. Luck was on their side in Round 2, and they won second in the round with a 5.3 for $2,225 a man.

“We came back on a steer that everybody was wanting, and we got him,” Sanchez said. “He was real good, and we used him.”

Their third-round steer had some tricks to him, but Sanchez took a good start to beat his zigzagging. They split third in the final round with a 5.2-second run to pick up $1,113 apiece and seal the deal on the aggregate title for $4,450 a man. 

Sanchez and Porter have been friends for years and, after roping here and there over the years, decided to enter full-time together in 2024. Sanchez credits Porter on the heel side for much of their success. 

“We decided we were going to rope full-time this year, and it was good,” Sanchez said. “He’s been doing it a while, and he sure is great; he doesn’t miss very many, and he sure catches two feet. It’s nice to know, usually, when I turn them, they’re about heeled.”

Down the horse rabbit hole

For Sanchez, his rookie year was plagued with horse problems. Both of his good horses went down in October and, from the fall of 2023 through June, he rode 13 different horses, mounting out at nearly every circuit rodeo. Until RV Elvis 701 came along. Sanchez bought the 7-year-old gelding a week before heading west for the summer, and they clicked immediately. 

“I went and tried him, and I loved him,” Sanchez said. “I threw him straight to the wolves. I bought him, we went to the Franklin, Tennessee, rodeo, and went to three or four rodeos that week. The next week we left and headed to Greeley.”

On the heel side, Porter rode a 14-year-old who’s been in his barn the last decade. King Of The Cats, aka “Gangster,” was a practice horse for nearly seven years, until the time and practice made him top of the line.

“All of a sudden, it just kind of got to where time made him better,” Porter said. “For so long, I’m not going to lie, I didn’t like the horse. All of a sudden, my good horse went down probably two years ago—he got old –and I really didn’t have nothing coming, so that horse I just kind of started. It was time for him to be ready, and he sure stepped up.”

The post Koby Sanchez and Trace Porter Win 2024 Southeastern Circuit Finals  appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

PBR (Professional Bull Riders) and Kid Rock announced today that the transformative Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo will return to Arlington, Texas, and AT&T Stadium on May 16, 2025. 

The landmark, team-formatted rodeo featuring rock n’ roll icon Kid Rock LIVE in concert, will again launch the biggest weekend in Western sports, with the the 2025 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship taking over the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys on May 17-18, 2025.  Three-day ticket packages for the 2025 Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo and 2025 PBR World Finals – Championship are on sale now. 

“Last May we mashed up rodeo and rock and roll to celebrate cowboys and America in a party no one will ever forget,” said Kid Rock. “It’s time for year two, and we’ve got even bigger ideas to continue pushing rodeo into the entertainment mainstream. Nothing’s cooler than rodeo and rock-n-roll.”

“In 2024, the PBR alongside entertainment icon Kid Rock reimagined and changed rodeo forever,” said Sean Gleason, CEO and Commissioner of the PBR. “Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo delivered an exciting team-formatted all-star rodeo inside the NFL’s largest stadium, capped off with an unforgettable concert from Kid Rock.  We are making some exciting tweaks to this transformative concept and can’t wait to welcome even more fans to AT&T Stadium in 2025.”

Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo is a reimagined rodeo produced by PBR in partnership with Kid Rock. During the music-infused event, six teams, each led by a legendary rodeo head coach, compete head-to-head in bracket-style competition across barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and breakaway roping. 

The all-star rodeo team competition and upbeat production is patterned after the successful formula PBR brought to bull riding through the Camping World Team Series launched in 2022.

Five of the six teams will feature one returning member per discipline from the 2024 Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo. They will fill the second open position in each discipline via a draft. 

The sixth team will again be comprised of athletes who qualify through the WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance) Major held in tandem with Rodeo Corpus Christi in May 2025. 

At the first-ever Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo last May, the WCRA team rode lights out, winning three gold medals in Round 1 before cementing their title as champions by winning four of the disciplines in the championship round. 

Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo begins at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, May 16. Following the can’t-miss rodeo, the PBR World Finals concludes with the Championship when the 2025 PBR World Champion will be crowned and presented the coveted gold buckle and $1 million bonus. The 2025 PBR World Finals – Championship begins on Saturday, May 17 at 7:45 p.m. CT and concludes on Sunday, May 18 at 1:45 p.m. CT. 

Ticket packages including Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo (May 17) and PBR World Finals – Championship (May 18-19) at AT&T Stadium are on sale now and can be purchased online at PBR.com and SeatGeek.com, or by calling (800) 732-1727.  

Stay tuned to PBR.com for the latest news and results and be sure to follow the sport on all social media platforms at @PBR. 

About PBR (Professional Bull Riders): 

PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 800 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, and Canada. In 2022, the organization launched PBR Teams—10 teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship—as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 60 annual events nationwide. PBR events are broadcast on CBS Television Network and Paramount+; Merit Street Media and Merit+; and in Spanish on TUDN. PBR is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, X at X.com/PBR, Instagram at Instagram.com/PBR and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.

About Kid Rock:

Kid Rock is a multi-platinum award-winning American rock ‘n roll icon. His music has been characterized as a melting pot of musical genres; from rap-rock in the ‘90s with singles “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy,” to the multi-chart hit “Picture,” a collaboration with Sheryl Crow, to the global smash hit, “All Summer Long,” charted at No. 1 in eight countries across Europe and Australia. Rock has sold nearly 30 million records worldwide and has earned a reputation as one of the hardest-working acts in rock n’ roll, blowing the roofs off arenas and stadiums on countless cross-country tours and treks around the globe. Kid Rock holds the Michigan record for most tickets sold with 150,000 for a run of ten consecutive sold-out shows, and he set the Little Caesars Arena attendance record in his hometown of Detroit with 86,893 attendees in six sold-out shows. Kid Rock is also a passionate supporter of those who serve in the US Armed Forces, in addition to many other charitable causes through his Kid Rock Foundation. His newest album, Bad Reputation, was released through his own Top Dog Records label. The album features crowd favorites, “Don’t Tell Me How To Live,” “We The People,” and “My Kind of Country,” a song he co-wrote with Eric Church and Adam Hood.

The post Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo is Returning to AT&T Stadium in 2025 appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

It’s not every day The Team Roping Journal’s videos break the internet, but when we catch J.D. Yates stacking coils over his saddle horn heeling to save a placing at the 2024 AQHA World Show, we sort of can’t help ourselves.

But–more importantly—Yates won the AQHA Junior Heading World Title on Tearney Ranch’s Sue C Royalty. The 2020 mare by One Time Royalty out of Sue C Lena marked a 229.0, worth $25,298.85 for the win against 76 other 5-and-under horses in the Level 3 Championships

Watch J.D. Yates’ Training Program ONLY on Roping.com

In this episode of The Score, we catch up with Yates the day after his win from the practice pen to get his hot take on the state of the rope horse training industry and where we go from here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Team Roping Journal (@teamropingjourn)

More from J.D. Yates

• J.D. Yates and Sue C Royalty Reign Supreme as 2024 AQHA Junior Heading World Champions
• No Doubt About It: J.D. Yates’ Still Got It with Royal Crown Heeling Win on Probably A Shiner
• At Home With: Dick Yates
• J.D. Yates Sends Five Horses to the High School Finals
• Time to Change? J.D. Yates Talks Old-School vs. New-School Starts

The post There’s Only One J.D. Yates appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

Just four years after the start of the Breeder’s Guide in 2020, The Team Roping Journal has the honor to share 150+ pages of the best studs and programs in the game.

The TRJ Breeder’s Guide offers the premier opportunity for breeders, stallion owners and specialists within the industry to market and promote their horses and their services to the most captive audience in team roping. The last few years, our Breeder’s Guide provided stallion owners and breeders with more than one million impressions at the start of breeding season, marketing stallions and programs across teamropingjournal.com, Instagram and Facebook. The Breeder’s Guide will once again be shared in the January 2025 issue, and the ad reservation deadline is now Nov. 15, 2024.

Why Now?

With the explosion of the Ariat World Series of Team Roping’s payouts and the growth of the rope horse futurity industry, the demand for top-level horses has never been higher. Ropers across the globe are searching for ways to maximize their horsepower, and are finding solutions through premium prospects, proven broodmares and the best studs in the game, guaranteeing big wins for years to come. 

Key Deadlines

Ads close: Nov. 15, 2024
Materials due: Nov. 15, 2024

For more information and to reserve spaces, contact Kayla Lombardo or Nick Griggs

Kayla Lombardo: (704) 242-2553 or KLombardo@equinenetwork.com
Nick Griggs: (806) 290-2077 or NGriggs@equinenetwork.com

The post TRJ Extending 2025 Breeder’s Guide Deadline appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.

Circuit finals season is in full swing as November 2024 marches on. Eight circuit finals are in the books, and the stories continue to intrigue and inspire, from overcoming accidents to going neck-and-neck with family in the standings.

On this episode of The Short Score, we introduce two circuit stories we’ve enjoyed so far: Jared Fillmore’s Wilderness Circuit Finals win and Braden Pirrung’s Badlands Circuit year-end title.

Listen Now

Episode presented by Purina

Confidently address your horse’s unique weight needs and help optimize their overall well-being with research-proven Purina Animal Nutrition feeds — designed by passionate equine nutritionists. Partner with Purina to nourish your horse to their optimal body condition. Explore weight management resources for your horse today at purinamills.com/feed-finder.

MORE FROM THE SCORE

• The Kirchenschlagers are AQHA World Champions
• The Short Score: Riata Part 2
• The CoJo Roping Champs: Andrew Ward and Jake Long
• The Short Score: Mike Kunzler and Celtic Tuff
• The Mental Game That Got Travis Graves to 15 Wrangler National Finals Rodeos
• How the Solo Stallion Incentive Will Work PLUS the Select Online October Yearling & Mixed Sale Preview

The post The Short Score: Circuit Roundup appeared first on The Team Roping Journal.