Eli Lord. Photo by Fernando Sam-Sin
Sep 7, 2026 1:00 PM
With some crucial rodeos on the horizon, there’s another Pstandings race to pay attention to.
As we enter the final month of the 2026 rodeo season, most attention naturally turns to the Top 15 in the World Standings. But there’s another race happening alongside it – one that could have a major impact on who ultimately makes it to Las Vegas in December.
While the PRCA Playoff Series standings may not directly determine an athlete's NFR qualification, it can, however, determine something almost as important: access to some of the biggest remaining opportunities to win money.
Throughout the season, contestants earn Playoff Series points at designated rodeos, creating a separate set of standings from the PRCA World Standings. Those points don’t add to a contestant's season earnings or move them closer to the Top 15 on their own. Instead, they help determine who earns a spot at the Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup, WA, and, ultimately, The Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls, SD.
At Puyallup, the top 23 contestants in the Playoff Series points standings (plus the NFR Open Champion from each event) will compete for a position at the Governor’s Cup. The Governor’s Cup then brings together the top 12 athletes – the top four from each event at Puyallup and the top eight from the Playoff Series standings.
In other words, there are two paths to Sioux Falls: perform well enough at Puyallup to finish in the Top 4, or remain inside the Top 8 of the Playoff Series standings.
Here’s a look at who’s sitting around the Top 8 in the Playoff Series standings:
| Bareback Riding:6. Keenan Hayes – 1098.13 pts7. Jacob Lees – 1066.88 pts8. Bradlee Miller – 1063.23 pts9. R.C. Landingham – 1010 pts10. Clayton Biglow – 842.05 pts | Saddle Bronc Riding:6. Brody Cress – 1081.81 pts7. Wyatt Casper – 1019.5 pts8. Brody Wells – 1003.38 pts9. Zeke Thurston – 955.36 pts10. Sage Newman – 897.38 pts |
|---|---|
| Bull Riding:6. T.J. Gray – 901.21 pts7. Colten Fritzlan – 897.54 pts8. Braxton Whitesell – 815.29 pts9. Qynn Andersen – 779.92 pts10. Hayden Welsh – 741.8 pts | Steer Wrestling:6. Cash Robb – 914.5 pts7. J.D. Struxness – 865.63 pts8. Mike McGinn – 798.13 pts9. Eli Lord – 744.25 pts10. Dalton Massey – 743.13 pts |
| Team Roping (Headers):6. Jake Smith – 907.5 pts7. Brye Crites – 887.5 pts8. Cory Kidd – 884 pts9. Coy Rahlmann – 857.2 pts10. Dawson Graham – 839.92 pts | Team Roping (Heelers):6. Nicky Northcott – 904.13 pts7. Ross Ashford – 887.5 pts8. Carson Johnson – 884 pts9. Logan Medlin – 857.2 pts10. Dillon Graham – 839.92 pts |
| Tie-Down Roping:6. Dylan Hancock – 917.88 pts7. Ty Harris – 908.25 pts8. John Douch – 863.25 pts9. Buck Calhoun – 863.19 pts10. Bryce Derrer – 748.63 pts | Barrel Racing:6. Sydney Graham – 966.76 pts7. Tricia Aldridge – 799.13 pts8. Kassie Mowry – 746.13 pts9. Andrea Busby – 738.00 pts10. Katelyn Scott – 732.51 pts |
| Breakaway Roping:6. Hali Williams – 752.48 pts7. Haiden Thompson – 744.94 pts8. Bradi Good – 730.88 pts9. Amy Ohrt – 695.60 pts10. Cadee Williams – 691.36 pts | Steer Roping:6. Vin Fisher – 300.5 pts7. Chet Herren – 267.75 pts8. Riley O'Rourke – 263.38 pts9. Scott Snedecor – 240.5 pts10. Troy Tillard – 238.5 pts |
For a contestant sitting just outside the Top 15 in the World Standings but sitting well in the Playoff Series, a trip to Puyallup – or better yet, a path that continues on to Sioux Falls – could provide a crucial opportunity to cover ground at the last minute. The Governor's Cup alone features more than a $1.5 million purse and is the richest rodeo in South Dakota history.
We saw last year just how much The Governor's Cup could change the trajectory of a competitor's season. Breakaway roper Bailey Bates entered the event roughly $19,000 out of making the NFBR. After winning the Governor’s Cup, she collected more than $32,000, and secured her first NFBR qualification.
While the World Standings tells us how much ground a contestant needs to make up to qualify for the NFR, the Playoff Series standings can help determine if they'll have the opportunity to make it up.
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