THE
AMERICAN
CONTENDER
TOURNAMENT
RIDE YOUR WAY TO THE
RICHEST WEEKEND IN RODEO
NEWLY REVISED TOURNAMENT-STYLE FORMAT FOR THE 2022-2023 QUALIFICATION SYSTEM FEATURES INCREASED PRIZE MONEY AS ATHLETES MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE, AND PROVIDES MORE WAYS THAN EVER BEFORE FOR ATHLETES TO ADVANCE TOWARD THE RICHEST DAY IN RODEO! WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN A $1 MILLION PAYDAY!CONTENDER TOURNAMENT
Athletes will start vying for a qualification position to The American by competing in the Contender Tournament. Events for the first round of the Contender Tournament start in July 2022 and run through February 2023. Athletes that finish in the 6th-20th positions in the 2022 PRCA/WPRA year-end standings will have an opportunity to enter the Contender Tournament at the Regional Semi-Finals (Round 2 level) while athletes that finish in the Top 5 of the 2022 PRCA/WPRA year-end standings will have an automatic invite to The American. All other athletes will have to begin the advancement process at Round 1.
8 DISCIPLINES
It will include 8 disciplines of rodeo and will begin July 2022 and run through to February 2023. The Top 5 athletes in the 2022 PRCA/WPRA standings will automatically be qualified and given invitations to THE AMERICAN Rodeo.
$1 MILLION BONUS
All athletes who finish outside of the Top 5 (FIVE) in 2022 PRCA/WPRA year-end standings will be considered a Contender and eligible for the $1 Million bonus.
THE AMERICAN CONTENDER TOURNAMENT IS MADE UP OF MULTIPLE QUALIFYING ROUNDS EACH OF THE EIGHT DISCIPLINES OF RODEO:
Barrel Racing, Breakaway Roping, Team Roping, Steer Wrestling, Bareback Riding, Tie Down Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding and Bull Riding and runs from July 2022 through February 2023. Rodeo athletes will have the opportunity to earn a spot at THE AMERICAN RODEO by going through a clearly defined, highly competitive tournament-style format that culminates at the Contender Tournament Finals in Texas.
BARREL RACING
BREAK AWAY ROPING
TEAM ROPING
STEER WRESTLING
BAREBACK RIDING
TIE DOWN ROPING
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
BULL RIDING
THE AMERICAN
CONTENDER TOURNAMENT
ROUND BY ROUND
ROUND 1
QUALIFYING
EVENTS
54
EVENTS
The American Contender Tournament, consisting of three regions and hosting up to 54 annual qualifying events, is open to athletes of all levels and ages. The contender events welcome thousands of athletes who will compete for their chance to advance to Regional Semi-Finals.
ROUND 2
ROUND 2
REGIONAL
SEMI-FINALS
100
The American Contender Tournament Regional Semi-Finals features up to 100 top athletes in each discipline including the automatically seeded athletes from the 2022 PRCA/WPRA world standings*, who will compete for the opportunity to advance to the Regional Finals.
The automatically seeded positions are determined by the previous year's PRCA/WPRA year-end standings. Athletes ranked 6-20 will be seeded into the Regional Semi-Finals (Round 2) while the Top 5 advance directly to the THE AMERICAN RODEO.
ROUND 3
ROUND 3
TOP
10
2+
REDEMPTION
ROUND
The American Contender Tournament Regional Finals will feature the top 10 athletes from the Regional Semi-Finals plus 2 additional athletes that advance from the Regional Redemption Round.
The automatically seeded positions are determined by the previous year's PRCA/WPRA year-end standings. Athletes ranked 6-20 will be seeded into the Regional Semi-Finals (Round 2) while the Top 5 advance directly to the THE AMERICAN RODEO.
WILD CARD
The Wild Card*** event offers qualifying athletes one last chance at earning a spot in the finals and an opportunity to compete on one of the world's biggest stages for western sports.
***The Wild Card event brings together the 30 athletes from each Semi-Final, the 8 from each Regional Final, and the 4 from each Regional Redemption Round. The top performer in each discipline advances to the Finals.
ROUND 4
ROUND 4
TOP
12
+1
WILDCARD
A nationally-broadcast event, the Finals kicks off The American Rodeo, March 11, 2023. The Contender Tournament Finals vets the Top 4 athletes from each Regional Finals +1 athlete with a Wild Card.