The Finals Field is Set for These 6 Circuits
The regular season has wrapped up for these circuits. Now it's Finals time.
Cody Craig calf roping at the Pendleton Round-Up.
Cody Craig's good showing at Pendleton moved him off the bubble and ensured his spot in Redmond. | Click Thompson photo

The Columbia River, Badlands, Prairie, Mountain States, Montana and Maple Leaf Circuits have wrapped up their regular seasons, leaving only the circuit finals rodeos left to determine who will claim year-end titles for 2023.

Joel Braden Harris Leads Columbia River Circuit by $284

The top side is dominated by guys who make their homes outside the circuit including rookie Joel Harris, who staged a come-from-behind sprint to retake the circuit lead by a scant margin. He placed at Pendleton and Othello, winning $6,425 to lead Tuf Cooper by $284. Lane Livingston, Ty Harris and Jake Pratt are all within $3,600 for the championship.

READ MORE: Preston Pederson Prevails at Pendleton Despite Problems

Columbia River Circuit Standings as of September 18, 2023

RankAthleteHometownMoney Won
1Joel Braden HarrisSan Angelo, Texas$24,521.46
2Tuf CooperDecatur, Texas$24,237.18
3Lane LivingstonSeymour, Texas$23,249.21
4Ty HarrisSan Angelo, Texas$21,663.30
5Jake PrattEllensburg, Washington$20,915.50
6Cody CraigWendell, Idaho$18,606.39
7Paden BrayStephenville, Texas$18,447.95
8Bo PickettCaldwell, Idaho$18,426.95
9Preston PedersonHermiston, Oregon$16,262.73
10Beau CooperStettler, Alberta$14,628.81
11Trevor HalePerryton, Texas$13,021.71
12Luke PotterMaple City, Kansas$12,400.19

Chase Lako Reclaims Badlands Circuit Lead

In the Badlands Circuit, Chase Lako reclaimed his lead just before the circuit cut-off in early September, bolstered at the end with a good check from the Range Days Rodeo in Rapid City, South Dakota. Thane Lockhart slid into the finals in the final position on the strength of a win at Dazey, North Dakota, and a second-place finish in Northfield, Minnesota, to close the season.

Badlands Circuit Standings as of September 18, 2023

RankAthleteHometownMoney Won
1Chase LakoArthur, North Dakota$17,112.01
2Jason SchafferBroadus, Montana$16,738.10
3Ty MoserVolga, South Dakota$16,536.57
4Grant TurekSt. Paul, Nebraska$14,792.74
5Trey YoungDupree, South Dakota$13,132.32
6Bodie MattsonSturgis, South Dakota$12,934.18
7Austin HurlburtNorfolk, Nebraska$10,784.05
8Matt PetersHot Springs, South Dakota$9,229.76
9Brock BelkhamFlandreau, South Dakota$8,629.74
10Rex TreebyHecla, South Dakota$8,481.49
11Cole RobinsonMoorcroft, Wyoming$6,729.64
12Thane LockhartOelrichs, South Dakota$6,224.15

Paul David Tierney Carries $5,500 Lead in Prairie Circuit

Paul David Tierney dominated the Prairie Circuit in the final month of the season, earning more than $4,500 just since August 21 to end as the season leader. He’ll carry a lead of $5,500 into the Prairie Circuit Finals in Duncan, Oklahoma, October 12–14. His closest competitor is five-time Prairie Circuit Champ Ryan Jarrett.

The battle for the 12th and final spot into the finals was fierce and RJ Straw of Lenapah, Oklahoma, seems to have won the war. He finished 12th, just $31.63 ahead of Riley O’Rourke. Amazingly, only $203 separated the 11th spot from the 15th.

Prairie Circuit Standings as of September 18, 2023

RankAthleteHometownMoney Won
1Paul David TierneyOklahoma City, Oklahoma$20,216.19
2Ryan JarrettComanche, Oklahoma$14,701.09
3Denton OestmannAlva, Oklahoma$13,849.07
4Cash FueszEureka, Kansas$12,663.86
5Tom CrouseGallatin, Missouri$12,611.25
6Glenn JacksonOkmulgee, Oklahoma$11,302.63
7Cash HooperPampa, Texas$11,159.06
8Sam Van BuskirkRingling, Oklahoma$9,674.31
9Kason DyerOttawa, Kansas$9,231.96
10Hagen HouckHenrietta, Texas$8,004.20
11Nolan RichieBristol, South Dakota$6,862.78
12RJ StrawLenapah, Oklahoma$6,778.59

Mountain States Circuit Leaderboard Shuffle

JD McCuistion closed the season with a slew of checks from Colorado to Idaho to take the lead from Tyler Boxleitner ahead of the Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo in Loveland, Colorado, on October 20–21. His lead is just $733, though, setting up a showdown at the finals for the year-end title.

Kasen Brennise of Craig, Colorado, scored a clutch victory at the Colorado State Fair Rodeo in Pueblo at the end of the summer to move from 14th to seventh in the standings.

Likewise, La Junta, Colorado’s, Chance Wall picked up a big check at the final stop of the Steamboat Springs (Colo.) ProRodeo series to clinch his spot in Loveland. He finished 12th, just $245 in front of Owen Wahlert. Reigning year-end and circuit finals champ Cash Enderli finished 11th, giving him a shot to defend his titles.

Mountain States Circuit Standings as of September 18, 2023

RankAthleteHometownMoney Won
1JD McCuistionEstes Park, Colorado$18,830.80
2Tyler BoxleitnerLoveland, Colorado$18,098.20
3Seth PetersonWellington, Colorado$16,103.59
4Riley PruittGerring, Nebraska$15,675.12
5Jase StaudtSaguache, Colorado$15,246.17
6Cason KingsburyOrchard, Colorado$14,082.99
7Kasen BrenniseCraig, Colorado$11,358.28
8Garrett BusbyBrock, Texas$10,365.53
9Ryan BelewLa Junta, Colorado$9,829.03
10Jeremiah PeekPueblo, Colorado$8,471.66
11Cash EnderliLiberty, Texas$7,548.81
12Chance WallLa Junta, Colorado$7,106.37

Montana Circuit Shake-Ups

World Champion and current world No. 2 Haven Meged stormed to the circuit lead a month ago and held it through Labor Day’s final rodeos for the Montana Circuit season. Meged is about $6,000 ahead of Matt Gutierrez, who won the most in the final month, nearly $5,000, in the race for the circuit title.

Though the season is done, the Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo doesn’t happen until January 11–13 in Great Falls.

With the bulk of Montana’s rodeos happening in August, it’s no surprise to see a lot of shake-ups with guys like Ben Ayre and Kevin Peterson having big wins to land inside the top 12.

Bryce Bott held off Levi Delamarter for the 12th and final qualifying position to Great Falls. Bott picked up a key silver finish in Miles City at the end of the season to finish $178 in front of Delamarter.

Montana Circuit Standings as of September 18, 2023

RankAthleteHometownMoney Won
1Haven MegedMiles City, Montana$20,800.97
2Matt GutierrezStephenville, Texas$13,977.93
3Landon WilliamsHelena, Montana$11,097.17
4Ty HedrickJackson, Montana$10,949.34
5Hank HollenbeckMolt, Montana$9,033.65
6Jesse MedearisBelgrade, Montana$8,811.75
7Dillon HahnkampMelrose, Montana$8,590.09
8Shay KellerRockglen, Saskatchewan$7,740.36
9Ben AyreGlendive, Montana$7,417.13
10James RamirezChurchill, Montana$6,687.01
11Kevin PetersonDillon, Montana$6,432.15
12Bryce BottMiles City, Montana$6,292.16

Maple Leaf Circuit Shoot-Out

The Maple Leaf Circuit has become a shoot-out between Kyle Lucas, brothers Jason and Shane Smith and Logan Bird.

Lucas holds the lead but Shane Smith scored big at Olds, Alberta, during the final weekend of the regular season and could be in the lead once the standings are updated. Meanwhile, Bird picked up the win in Hanna, Alberta, leaving the top four within $1,000 of each other.

Erik Dublanko and Cooper Resch helped themselves off the bubble with two checks on the final weekend, Dublanko winning $2,508 and Resch $3,089. They should both be safely into the Maple Leaf Circuit Finals held on November 22–25.

Maple Leaf Circuit Standings as of September 18, 2023

courtesy RodeoCanada.com (doesn’t include Hanna and Olds)

RankAthleteHometownMoney Won
1Kyle LucasCarstairs, Alberta$17,871.58
2Jason SmithWimborne, Albert$17,710.74
3Shane SmithWimborne, Albert$16,823.58
4Logan BirdNanton, Alberta$15,552.09
5Murray PoleErskine, Alberta$10,761.04
6Stran DunhamSouris, Manitoba$10,606.92
7Clay ElliottNanton, Alberta$10,385.48
8Jesse PopesculGlentworth, Saskatchewan$9,190.13
9Clayton SmithEckville, Alberta$8,868.70
10Austin HinesMarwayne, Alberta$8,779.16
11Cooper ReschStettler, Alberta$8,223.78
12Erik DublankoThorsby, Alberta$7,859.81
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