Braden Pirrung and Dylan Hart won the battle of the Badlands Circuit, taking home the 2024 year-end heading and heeling titles.
For the majority of the season, Pirrung and Hart went head-to-head with Pirrung’s younger brother Payton and his partner Logan Schliinz. But thanks to the Badlands Circuit Finals in Minot, North Dakota, Pirrung and Hart came out on top and punched their tickets to July’s NFR Open in Colorado Springs.
“It means quite a bit,” Hart, 30, from Flandreau, South Dakota, said. “I set the goal at the beginning of the year to win it, and we got it done.”
The 2024 title marks Pirrung’s second year-end victory and Hart’s first.
“It’s always a goal when you decide to circuit rodeo that year,” said 26-year-old Pirrung of Hartford, South Dakota. “It’s always my goal to do the best I can, and it feels as good as it did winning the first one. It’s a good feeling and it gives a guy some confidence going into the winter.”
Pirrung and Hart’s year
When 2024 kicked off, Pirrung was partnered up with two-time NFR header Jr. Dees, who wanted to shift focus to heeling. Longtime friends, Pirrung and Dees had decided to give their 14-year-old dreams of roping together professionally a shot.
Over the spring run on the West Coast, however, Dees was offered the chance to head for JC Flake, and both he and Pirrung knew it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Pirrung had also decided he was ready to head home and get back to chasing cows and riding colts. Along the way, he gave Hart, who he’d known practically their entire lives, a call.
“I decided to stay home and go to strictly circuit rodeos,” Pirrung said. “Besides Cheyenne, I didn’t go out of circuit once this year, which was unlike me; the last three years I’ve rodeoed a bit. It was fun though. I wouldn’t say it was relaxing because no matter what you do, you’re going 110%. Whether circuit rodeoing or rodeoing, it seems like you’re always gone. But I got to stay home more and hang out, and got a lot more accomplished that way.”
Pirrung and Hart kicked off their partnership in June and, after a rough start, they made some money moves over Fourth of July—a crucial time in the Badlands Circuit. Between Dickinson, North Dakota; Belle Fourche, South Dakota; Killdeer, North Dakota; and Mandan, North Dakota, Pirrung and Hart pocketed $7,680 a man to give Hart a sizeable lead in the heeling standings.
“We had a really good Fourth,” Hart said. “It kind of slowed down after that, but then we kickstarted it again and kept winning—and never looked back.”
All came down to Minot
The year-long battle between the Pirrung brothers and Hart and Schliinz came down to the circuit finals. Big brother Pirrung entered the circuit finals second, and Hart entered No. 1.
Pirrung and Hart had a successful circuit finals, winning second in the average and picking up $6,542 for their weekend. Pirrung finally passed his little brother, and Hart maintained his lead.
“[Payton’s] never made it before, so I was pulling for him,” Pirrung said. “We were first and second all throughout the year, and it was all the sweeter because his horse broke its leg this winter, so we rode my two head horses. He rode Richard—the yellow horse I rode at the finals—half the year, and I rode the sorrel. Then we swapped halfway through.”
Colorado in July
Pirrung is looking forward to his second trip to Colorado Springs, giving him a shot at redemption.
“I’m excited to go back over there,” Pirrung said. “I had a lot of fun the first time I went. I ended up breaking a barrier to win the first round and it didn’t go our way in the second round. I’m ready to try my luck again and get a little redemption.”
With the money up for grabs, Hart is excited for his first NFR Open trip as well.
“I can’t wait,” Hart said. “I’m excited to get to the next level.”
