Most Added Money in Team Roping History Headed Your Way!
Sep 11, 2023
Team roping has seen added money for years, with a million dollars added at the USTRC's Cinch
National Finals of Team Roping going back all the way to the 90's. The million in added money
was a big draw for the first 20 years, but it was spread across a dozen divisions, and over time it
wasn't appreciated as maybe it should have been. Eventually it went away. Along comes the
promotion of the million-dollar bonus at The American Rodeo and even the "The Run for a
Million" to energize those ticketed events and create real excitement within those disciplines. A
million dollars was exciting to another group of cowboys.
The Riata Buckle Stallion Incentive program came along last year with a guaranteed $2 million
payoff and really did energize the horse market. But many were wondering WHY that added
money made a difference. Team ropers have seen million-dollar ropings in Vegas and a-million
in added money at the US Finals, so what was the big deal with Riata Buckle? The answer was
simple: it was given in just five divisions and had a huge impact.
The roping divisions in 2022 were all fairly small, and at $1,000 per team, it was super easy for
ropers to calculate the amount of added money. As an example, the Riata Buckle Open Futurity
had 56 teams, $56,000 in entry fees and paid out $400,000. That was the biggest chunk of
added money ever in a single division of a team roping at $344,000. That was just the start as
Riata Buckle had four more divisions where they ADDED $265,000, $181,000, $312,000 and
$258,000 each. Even in their two breakaway divisions, with a total of 90 ropers, Riata added
$55,000. Riata has already guaranteed an additional $500,000 this year!
The concept of Riata Buckle promoting "guarantee minimums" instead of "added money" may
have caused a little confusion. Guaranteed minimums give Riata the ability to potentially add
more money and balance cash between divisions. The downside of that is that the actual
amount of added money will fluctuate division to division based on team counts and can't
actually be known until entries close. But regardless of what you call it, nobody has ever put this
much "EXTRA" money in a team roping event!
Don't Miss the Fourth Richest Roping in the World!
Entries Close October 2nd.
