The WCRA’s Rodeo Carolina—lauded as the richest rodeo East of the Mississippi River—officially kicks off Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, with Qualifying Rounds.
Paying out more than $400,000, Rodeo Carolina also marks the final stop of the 2023 Reliance Ranches VRQ Champion bonus program AND the last stop of the 2023 Triple Crown of Rodeo series.
Who’s competing?
Up to 36 ropers from the WCRA Segment RNC23 Leaderboard qualify. The top six Segment RNC23 Leaderboard athletes were seeded into the Progressive Rounds at no entry fee. If a seeded athlete chooses to enter and participate in the Qualifying Rounds for payout and World Points they will be required to pay the entry fee.
Athletes are required to have a minimum of 15 VRQ points on the WCRA Segment RNC23 Leaderboard in a discipline to be eligible to enter WCRA Rodeo Carolina.
Where? When?
The inaugural Rodeo Carolina will be hosted at the world famous Tryon International Equestrian Center and Resort in Mill Spring, North Carolina, October 5-8, 2023.
| Thursday, Oct. 5 | Qualifying Rounds (2) | 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. |
| Friday, Oct. 6 | Progressive Round 1 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 7 | CEAT DY Showcase Performance | 11 a.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 7 | Progressive Round 2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 8 | Triple Crown of Rodeo Performance | 1:30 p.m. |
View the full schedule HERE.
What’s the payout?
The calf roping will pay out $45,200 over the course of the event with a grand prize of $15,000 for the winners. REFRESHER: WCRA Breakdown
What about the VRQ Bonus?
The Reliance Ranches VRQ Bonus is an incentive that pays out cash bonuses to the top four athletes in each discipline who earn the most points throughout the year (points are earned by nominating ProRodeos, amateur rodeos and other events with publicly verifiable results to the WCRA). This year, Rodeo Carolina is the final opportunity for competitors to earn points and secure the $25,000 prize.
The VRQ points are earned based on the athlete’s finish in each rodeo event. The top four athletes in each discipline with the most VRQ points at the end of the year will be eligible for the bonus.
The payout for the VRQ Bonus program is as follows:
- First Place: $25,000
- Second Place: $10,000
- Third Place: $7,500
- Fourth Place: $2,500
What’s the format for Rodeo Carolina?
Calf ropers will compete in two full Qualifying Rounds Thursday, Oct. 5. The Qualifying Round 1 winner, Qualifying Round 2 winner and the four fastest teams from the Qualifying Rounds two-head average advance to the Progressive Round.
The top six athletes from the RNC23 Leaderboard are already seeded into the Progressive Rounds. In other words, 12 teams compete in the Progressive Round.
The Progressive Round is made up of two full rounds of competition. The first round takes place Friday, Oct. 6, with the 12 teams competing, followed by the second round Saturday, Oct. 7. From there, the Progressive Round 1 winner, Progressive Round 2 winner and the six fastest teams from the Progressive Rounds two-head aggregate advance to the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round.
Eight athletes will compete Sunday, Oct. 8, in the Triple Crown of Rodeo Round. The event champions will take home $15,000 and be eligible for the Triple Crown of Rodeo Bonus.
How can I watch?
Rodeo Carolina will be live on the Cowboy Channel, Cowgirl Channel and RidePass on PlutoTV this week. All event times are EST.
