With more than $1.2 million in total payout and one of the most exclusive invites of the season, the 2025 Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup held the fates of many athletes clinging to National Finals Rodeo (NFR) hopes and strong season finishes.
Rocker Steiner shattered the regular-season earnings record when the dust settled in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Climbing aboard his 56th and final horse of the 2025 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) season, Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Cosmic Stardust, Steiner marked a powerful 88-point ride.
The ride cemented his place as the 2025 Governor’s Cup Bareback Champion and earned him a stout $32,000 payday, further extending his lead over a competitive field of NFR-qualifying bareback riders. In total, the Weatherford, Texas, cowboy pocketed $43,911.20 during the final weekend of the 2025 PRCA season.
Also leaving Sioux Falls with $43,911.20 was steer wrestler Justin Shaffer, who claimed the 2025 Governor’s Cup Steer Wrestling title. Shaffer turned heads in Round 2 with a lightning-fast, arena-record 3.0-second run. He stopped the clock at 3.7 seconds in the final shootout round to edge out Stetson Jorgensen, who took home reserve champion honors and $24,000. The win solidifies Shaffer’s place within the top five of the PRCA standings as he prepares for his second NFR appearance.
Veteran team ropers Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira continued to add to their legacy, winning the coveted title and $43,911.20 each, comfortably positioning themselves as the regular-season earnings leaders.
Luke Brown and Trey Yates also punched their tickets to the 2025 NFR at the last minute, thanks to a semifinal check worth $4,000 and a Round 1 win worth $11,911. Their combined earnings of nearly $16,000 each secured their spots in Las Vegas.
Canadian saddle bronc rider Dawson Hay capped off the best season of his PRCA career with a standout win worth $32,000. Riding atop Burch Rodeo’s Moose—a horse he’s had a long, successful history with—Hay clinched the title and positioned himself to enter his sixth NFR ranked third in the world standings, his highest regular-season finish to date.
Fellow Canadian bronc rider Ben Anderson also made headlines, securing his fourth NFR qualification after a nail-biting September bubble race. By making the final round of the Governor’s Cup and taking home a crucial $16,000 paycheck, Anderson locked down his spot for Las Vegas.
Tie-down roping delivered plenty of drama, from bubble race battles to world title implications. When the dust settled, it was Kincade Henry who rose to the top, taking home the Governor’s Cup title and $34,977.80. The win elevated the young star to third in the world standings as he prepares for his fourth NFR qualification at just 23 years old.
Veteran Shane Hanchey, a 15-time NFR qualifier, entered the Governor’s Cup only a few hundred dollars outside the top 15. His semifinal qualification and $4,000 check were just enough to unofficially beat the bubble, punching his 16th ticket to Las Vegas.
In breakaway roping, Navajo Nation’s Bailey Bates delivered the fastest run of the week with a blazing 2.1-second final-round time. Bates earned $34,977.80 overall and secured her first National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) qualification.
World champion Martha Angelone fought valiantly to make it back to the NFBR, earning an impressive $20,000 in Sioux Falls, including a third-place finish at the Governor’s Cup. However, she fell heartbreakingly short of the top 15 by less than $1,000, unofficially missing her ticket to Las Vegas.
In barrel racing, Puyallup Cinch Playoff Series champion Halyn Lide continued her storybook run. Stopping the clock at 14.38 seconds in the final round, Lide claimed $32,000 and officially qualified for her second NFR appearance.
Bull riding saw Ky Hamilton surge into the heart of the world title race. He was the only finalist to make the eight-second whistle, scoring 90.75 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Puckered Up and taking home $49,866.80. Hamilton now heads to Las Vegas as a top contender alongside Wacey Schalla and Stetson Wright.
The historic 2025 Governor’s Cup set the stage for the drama to come in December at the NFR. All standings remain subject to final PRCA audits, with the regular season officially closing Oct. 1.