Road to the UPRA Finals Runs Through Madill

As summer begins to give way to the final stretch of the rodeo season, every run, ride and paycheck carries added importance for contestants chasing a spot at the United Professional Rodeo Association Finals.

Madill, Oklahoma, became another stop on that road as Flying C Rodeo Company brought UPRA competition to town, giving contestants across nine events an opportunity to add valuable earnings to their season totals.

The largest winner’s check of the rodeo belonged to the team roping duo of Bubba Buckaloo and Rowdy Jones. The pair earned $1,467.60 each for their winning performance, giving both contestants a significant boost as the race toward the Finals continues.

Barrel racer Bella Skinner also left Madill with one of the weekend’s biggest paydays. Skinner earned $1,277.10 for the barrel racing championship, adding another important check during a point in the season when each successful trip down the alley can make a difference in the standings.

Camryn Fry topped the breakaway roping, collecting $1,209.04. Breakaway roping continues to bring deep competition throughout the UPRA season, making a win… and a four-figure payday, particularly valuable as contestants work to secure their position before the Finals.

In calf roping, Clay Brown earned $1,038.88 for the victory, while Cade Staton topped the steer wrestling and collected $982.28.

The roughstock end of the arena produced another group of champions looking to build momentum late in the season.

Blaise Freeman captured the saddle bronc riding title and earned $865.40, while Ethan Parrott claimed the bareback riding championship for an $801.24 payday. Brock Poulin matched that $801.24 winner’s check with his victory in bull riding.

Ranch bronc riding rounded out the list of Madill champions, with Austin Kelly earning $718.68 for his winning performance.

While the individual checks tell the story of who came out on top in Madill, their importance stretches beyond a single rodeo. As the UPRA season moves deeper into its closing stages, contestants are increasingly aware of what each successful weekend can mean for their Finals hopes.

A missed opportunity can leave a contestant searching for another check down the road, while a championship can provide exactly the push needed to climb or maintain a position in the standings.

That pressure will only continue to build.

The 2026 UPRA Finals will bring the association’s leading contestants to the Brazos Valley Expo in Bryan, Texas, where a season spent traveling from one rodeo to the next will ultimately culminate in a run at a Finals championship.

For the winners in Madill, the latest stop offered more than a rodeo title. Buckaloo, Jones, Skinner, Fry, Brown, Staton, Freeman, Parrott, Kelly and Poulin each left Oklahoma with another successful performance behind them and money earned toward their season.

There are still rodeos to be won and standings positions to be decided, but the destination remains the same.