With the clock ticking down on the 2025 rodeo regular season, veteran header Luke Brown and 2018 NFR average champion Trey Yates are in full-on pursuit mode—chasing the final tour points and dollars needed to punch their tickets to the Cinch Playoffs in Sioux Falls and, eventually the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
This morning in Amarillo, the pair came up empty, missing their chance at a check. That puts more pressure on the remaining two weeks, but neither man is rattled. If anything, they’re dialed in—in their own distinctly different ways.
Bubble Watch: Where They Stand
Heading into the final stretch:
- Luke Brown sits No. 16 in the PRCA world standings with $103,285, $803 behind the No. 15 man, Aaron Tsinigine, who has $104,088 won.
- Trey Yates holds No. 14 on the heeling side also with $103,285, but he’s just $1,322 ahead of the No. 16 man, Wyatt Cox, with $101,963.
They also remain squarely in the Sioux Falls conversation. After a strong showing in Pendleton, where they finished fourth in the average for $7,271 a man and important tour points, Brown and Yates are ninth in the PRCA Playoff Series standings. And with two contestants ahead of them already qualified via Puyallup, they’re within striking distance of a Sioux Falls qualification—if they can stay in the mix through the North Dakota Roughriders Cup in Mandan.
The Remaining Run: Rodeos That Matter
Brown and Yates’ route before Sept. 30 is packed:
“I’m planning on going to Omaha, Mandan, Mona, possibly Pasadena,” Brown said. “I’ve got Sioux Falls if we make it. There’s plenty of money left. I just gotta catch.”
He’s hauling two horses, the 18-year-old Paint—SS Speedy Me—he just bought from Chad Masters up north, and possibly riding his gray, DM Jet Off, in Pasadena. No chaos. No panic.
“Either I rope good or I don’t,” he shrugged. “It’s just another rodeo. I’d like to pay some bills and jackpot money while we’re at it.”
Yates is perhaps even more composed.
“I don’t think pressure’s real,” Yates said. “The only pressure is air pressure—tires, hot air balloons. You just rope to win.”
For Yates, this run isn’t about scrambling to qualify—it’s about staying true to a season-long mindset: rope sharp, stay grounded and trust the process. He credits his support system, his faith and the chance to do what he loves every day.
“We’re going to rope to the best of our abilities to win money,” said Yates, who has his campaigner, Dude—Romancing The Chics—in the trailer for this final stretch. “That’s it. It’s a blessing just to get to do this at a high level.”
Sioux Falls and NFR: A Dual Objective
While the Top 15 is always the endgame, the Playoff Series finale in Sioux Falls offers a lucrative shot at both points and cash. With the top eight in the standings earning a spot — and two already filled by Puyallup top-four finishers — the door is wide open for Brown and Yates to slide in if they hold form.
A solid finish in the average at Pendleton helped keep their names in that conversation. Now, it’s about closing the gap.
