RodeoHouston brings back bracket for 2008's richest regular-season rodeo

By Kevin Carmody, PRCA
Posted Monday, March 3, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In the spirit of March Madness and the NCAA Basketball Championships, RodeoHouston’s bracket-style battle goes into full effect tonight, with the $1.3 million rodeo running through the culminating Shootout Round on March 22. The rodeo will bestow $50,000 checks ($27,500 per man in team roping) on its shootout champions for the second straight year, virtually assuring them of spots in the 50th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The initial “bracket” of contestants was broken into five separate Super Series rodeos, with 10 contestants (10 teams in team roping) per event squaring off in three preliminary rounds. The top four money winners (20 total) in each event in the five Super Series rodeos will advance to a two-performance semifinal round, where scores and times will be zeroed out.

The top four contestants (top four teams in team roping) from each of the two semifinals (eight total) will advance to the finals, with the bottom six from the pair of semifinals battling in a Wild Card round. The top two contestants (two teams in team roping) from the Wild Card round will qualify for the finals, giving the finals a 10-man (10 teams) bracket.

The top four contestants (top four teams) in the finals based on fastest times and highest-scored rides make it to the sudden-death Shootout Round. In the Shootout Round, the contestants with the fastest times and highest scores will take home the $50,000 first-place prize.

One major change to this year’s rodeo concerns the payoff. Second-place money has been increased from $3,500 per event ($2,500 apiece in the team roping) to $14,000 per event and $8,250 per man in the team roping. Third place will receive $5,000 ($3,250 per man in team roping) and fourth place will pay $2,500 ($1,750 per man).

For a complete list of competitors in all five Super Series rodeos and up-to-date results, visit www.prorodeo.com

All of last year’s champions used the record payday to qualify for the Wrangler NFR, with bareback rider Bobby Mote going on to win his second career world title after 10 days in Las Vegas. This year’s action should once again keep fans on the edge of their seats and make a handful of talented PRCA contestants much happier and richer in the process.