After surgery caused him to miss most of the 2026 season, Shad Mayfield is making major moves on the back half of the season.
It’s the moment rodeo fans across the country have been waiting for: Shad Mayfield is officially back in the Top 15 of the tie-down roping world standings after a major late-season push.
After missing much of the 2026 season following surgery, the two-time World Champion has steadily worked his way back into contention for an eighth consecutive NFR qualification, and is currently sitting No. 14 with $118,226.75 earned. It has become one of the most closely watched stories in rodeo this season, and his strong performances in the Northwest have put him in position to finish what he started just a few months ago.
Since splitting the win at the Omak Stampede last month, he has consistently picked up checks at some major Northwest rodeos. He earned a first round check worth $2,603 at the Horse Heaven Roundup Rodeo in Kennewick, WA, before collecting $4,237 at the recent Ellensburg Rodeo. He earned $2,767 with a sixth-place finish in Walla Walla before heading to Puyallup, where he added more than $10,000 to his season earnings.
In Puyallup, Mayfield won the first round of his bracket with an 8.3-second run for $3,071. He followed with an 8.5-second run to once again finish first in Round 2 and earn another $3,510. He then moved onto the Semi-Finals, where he placed third with an 8.6-second run – good enough to advance to the Finals. While he was unable to record a time in the Finals, he still picked up $3,850 for fourth place.
But what’s important is he punched his ticket to The Governor’s Cup, the ultimate late-season opportunity to add money and make a final push in the race to the NFR.
The Governor’s Cup, set for Sept. 25–27 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will bring together the top eight contestants from the PRCA Playoff Series standings – as well as the top four from Puyallup – for one final major payday before the regular season ends. With winners receiving over $30,000, the stakes have never been higher.
Now, with the regular season nearing its September 30 conclusion, Mayfield has put himself back where he needs to be. To climb into the Top 15 after missing most of the season is an impressive feat on its own, especially with so little time to make up ground. His ability to return from surgery and get back to not only competing, but winning, speaks volumes to the consistency and pure determination that have defined his career.
