The Badlands Bits & Spurs Futurity, produced by ProRodeo Hall of Famer Bobby Harris, will postpone its 2023 event until August 2024 to expand the roping’s payout—becoming the highest-paying, premier 4-year-old futurity in the team roping industry.
The 2024 event aims to offer $100,000 to the winner on each end, providing ropers the single richest chance to showcase the future of the rope horse industry. The futurity is open to all 4-year-olds in a judged format that pays fast-times in the go-rounds, too.
“We believe in offering a space to highlight the best young rope horses each year,” Harris said. “Offering a championship of this caliber only for 4-year-olds helps elevate the rope horse industry to the level of other disciplines like the cutting, reining and cow horse. Those disciplines give a world-championship futurity title to only 4-year-olds, because they’re in such a different place than the 5- and 6-year-olds. We’ll still offer a derby for those horses, too, with more added money there as well.”
Harris plans to add a sale to the event, allowing breeding programs and trainers to promote their horses in a world-class setting.
“We want to keep the futurity in the North,” Harris said. “The Badlands and the Rocky Mountains offer the finest land on which to raise hearty, strong and tough horses, and we want to give those programs, cowboys and trainers a place in their own backyard to compete, bringing folks from all over the country and beyond to our area to see what it’s all about.”
The event has given Priefert chutes to its winners on each end every year since its 2021 launch during the Central States Fair in Rapid City, South Dakota, with great programs like the Relentless Remuda and the Philipp Ranch already having won Badlands Bits & Spurs 4-year-old titles.
“This is a great futurity,” 26-time PRCA World Champion Trevor Brazile said. “Bobby’s goal of giving us a place to compete on our 4-year-olds for this kind of money is spot on with the trajectory of the sport.”
ABOUT BADLANDS BITS & SPURS FUTURITY:
Founded by Bobby Harris and JD Gerard in 2021, the Badlands Bits & Spurs Futurity paid out $126,000 in cash and prizes in its 2022 edition. It features 4-year-old heading and heeling futurities as well as 5- and 6-year-old heading and heeling derbies. For more information on the event as well as sponsorship opportunities, call Bobby Harris at 605-870-0228.
