One week remains on the 2024 ProRodeo season, and with few regular season rodeos and the Governor’s Cup remaining, it’s do or die for the bubble teams.

While a team could win up to $52,000 in Sioux Falls if they absolutely dominated, a majority of the teams making the trek are safe inside the top 10 of the world standings, meaning it’s still anyone’s game. 

In this article, The Team Roping Journal maps out where the bubble teams are entered in the final week of the ProRodeo season and how their odds at the Top 15 are looking. 

*NOTE: Final rodeos listed below are based off trade lists from the remaining rodeos of the 2024 season.

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Clay Smith & Coleby Payne: $109,106.97 / $119,106.97

No Sioux Falls

Clay Smith and Coleby Payne technically aren’t on the bubble at No. 9 and No. 8 in the world standings, and that’s thanks to a $10,549 weekend. Smith and Payne started the weekend 14th and 11th before picking up $2,336 a man for second at the Omaha River City Rodeo in Nebraska. They followed that up with $8,213 a man for fourth at the inaugural North Dakota Roughrider Cup in Mandan to push them deeper inside the Top 15. 

Smith has $10,686.92 over the No. 16 header in the world standings, whereas Payne is $17,890.89 ahead of 16^th in the heeling. The team did not qualify for Sioux Falls, but only two headers and heelers outside the Top 15 did, bettering Smith’s odds for his 10th NFR and Payne’s chance for his first qualification. 

Luke Brown & Travis Graves: $108,426.87 / $103,050.66

Yes Sioux Falls

Between Puyallup and Pendleton, Luke Brown and Travis Graves have made a hard push into the Top 15 and currently sit 10th and 14th in the world standings. While Brown is $10,006.82 ahead of No. 16, Graves is only $1,834.58 ahead of 16^th in the heeling. Luckily for Brown and Graves, though, they did qualify for Sioux Falls. Brown and Graves aren’t exactly safe, so they’ll head to Stephenville Sept. 29, for one final opportunity after Sioux Falls.

Cody Snow & Hunter Koch: $107,766.62 / $109,777.63

No Sioux Falls

Cody Snow and Hunter Koch are currently 11th in the world standings, with Snow $9,346.57 ahead of 16th and Koch $8,561.55 ahead. Snow and Koch did not qualify for Sioux Falls, so they’re battling the bubble in Pasadena Sept. 23 and 24, and Stephenville Sept. 28. 

Similar to Smith and Payne, only two headers and heelers outside the Top 15 qualifying for Sioux Falls levels out the playing field for the bubble guys as many of them are headed to the same rodeos.

Andrew Ward & Kollin VonAhn: $106,581.02 / $95,382.46

Yes Sioux Falls

Andrew Ward and Kollin VonAhn made the cut for Sioux Falls, and they need it for different reasons. Ward needs some cushion as he’s 12th in the world with $8,160.97 more than 16th, but VonAhn needs to make up ground as he’s currently 21st in the world and outside the Top 15 by $6,715.30. With rounds paying $11,000 to its victors and a grand prize of $30,000 a man, a standout performance in Sioux Falls could seal the deal. 

Sioux Falls is also their final rodeo of the year, making it even more important that they capitalize there.

Derrick Begay & Colter Todd: $105,068.55

No Sioux Falls

Derrick Begay and Colter Todd may not have made the cut for Sioux Falls, but the fan favorites are still alive in the race. Begay and Todd currently sit 13th in the world and are $6,648.50 and $3,852.47 ahead of 16th. They pocketed $1,098 a piece in Amarillo, and while the race is tight, Begay and Todd’s final three rodeos can pay a decent penny. 

Mona, Utah, paid $2,143 a man to its 2023 winners, and Begay and Todd are the reigning Poway champs where they picked up $2,381 each. They’ll round out their year in San Bernardino where they also took home the 2023 win for $3,356 a man.

Erich Rogers & Paul Eaves: $104,549.97 / $105,148.98

No Sioux Falls

Erich Rogers and Paul Eaves sit 14th and 12th in the world standings and are down to their last rodeo in 2024. Rogers and Eaves will round out their season in San Bernardino and need to capitalize as they are only $6,129.92 and $3,932.90 ahead of 16th. 

For Rogers, Nelson Wyatt is directly behind him at 15th and did qualify for Sioux Falls, and Riley Minor is 16th but did not make the cut. Eaves is followed by Todd at 13th, by Sioux Falls qualifiers Graves and Tanner Braden at 14th and 15^th, and by JC Flake at 16th who did not qualify. 

Nelson Wyatt: $101,988.06

Yes Sioux Falls

Nelson Wyatt picked up $8,213 for fourth at Mandan over the weekend to push him back inside the Top 15 right at 15th. Wyatt is only $3,568.01 ahead of 16th, but he qualified for Sioux Falls. The Governor’s Cup will be Wyatt’s final rodeo, and its large payout keeps him alive in the NFR hunt

Riley Minor & Brady Minor: $98,420.05

No Sioux Falls

Riley and Brady Minor are on the outside looking in of the world standings, but make no mistake, they still have a chance. Riley and Brady are currently 16th and 17th in the world standings and only outside the Top 15 by $3,568.01 for Riley and $3,677.71 for Brady. While their bubble fight will be difficult as they did not qualify for Sioux Falls, they still have Mona and San Bernardino left to give them a chance at the NFR.

Jr. Dees: $98,047.33

No Sioux Falls

Jr. Dees is 17th in the heading and chasing 15th by $3,940.73. Though he didn’t make the Sioux Falls cut, Dees has three rodeos left, all of which are California rodeos. 

JC Flake: $101,216.08

No Sioux Falls

JC Flake is searching for his first NFR and is currently 16th in the heeling world standings. Just $881.68 separates Flake from 15th, but Flake did not qualify for Sioux Falls and the No. 15 heeler did. While Flake’s partner, Dees, is entered at three rodeos, Flake only has San Bernardino left. Flake needs to pick up the win there to even have a slight chance at bursting the bubble.

Tanner Tomlinson & Patrick Smith: $96,939.57

No Sioux Falls

The 2022 NFR champs Tanner Tomlinson and Patrick Smith are down to their final rodeo: Stephenville. Tomlinson and Smith are 18th in the world and chasing the Top 15 by $5,048.49 for Tomlinson and $5,158.19 for Smith. Unfortunately, the team did not make Sioux Falls, and Stephenville only paid $2,647 a man to win in 2023, with number of entries affecting the payout.

Jake Clay & Trey Yates: $92,742.41

No Sioux Falls

Jake Clay and Trey Yates did not make the Sioux Falls cut, but they still have multiple opportunities to burst the bubble. Clay and Yates pocketed $2,092 each for second in Sonoma, California, to put them 19th and 22nd in the world standings. Clay is $9,245.65 outside the Top 15, and Yates is $9,355.35 behind 15th. With five rodeos leftall but one of which paid more than $2,000 to its winners in 2023Clay and Yates need to earn money every time they nod their heads to stay alive in the fight.

Wyatt Bray & Paden Bray: $92,651.59 / $89,787.32

Yes Sioux Falls

Bray brothers Wyatt and Paden have nothing to lose and everything to gain as they enter the final week of the 2024 ProRodeo season. While Wyatt is outside the Top 15 by $9,336.47 at 20th, and Paden is 23rd and $12,310.44 behind 15th, they still have a chance at major money in Sioux Falls. A round win and a top four finish in another could seal the deal on their NFR dreams, but the brothers also still have opportunities in Poway and San Bernardino if all else fails.

Cyle Denison & Tanner Braden: $85,950.88 / $102,097.76

Yes Sioux Falls

Cyle Denison and Tanner Braden are in an interesting situation as Denison is currently outside the Top 15 at No. 23, but Braden is the No. 15 heeler in the world. Denison and Braden are both in the hunt for their first NFR qualifications, and their tickets to Sioux Falls are critical as Denison is outside the Top 15 by $16,037.18 and Braden is only $881.68 ahead of 16th. Denison and Braden need to get the ball rolling big time in Sioux Falls to have a chance at the bright lights of Vegas.

Chad Masters & Wyatt Cox: $91,849.02 / $95,470.57

No Sioux Falls

Chad Masters and Wyatt Cox may not be in for Sioux Falls, but they’re entered deep the last week of the 2024 season. Masters and Cox pocketed $934 a man for sixth in Omaha, $1,569 a piece in Amarillo for fifth, and they also picked up $521 for fourth in the first round in Pasadena. Outside the Top 15 by $10,139.04 for Masters at 21st and $6,627.19 at 20th for Cox, a strong week of picking up checks at their remaining seven rodeos could push them inside the Top 15, especially if their fellow bubble teams that did qualify for Sioux Falls are unable to cash in.