RULES & pAYOUTS

AMERICAN CONTENDER TOURNAMENT QUALIFIERS are hosted by independent producers of Barrel Racing, Breakaway Roping, Tie Down Roping and Steer Wrestling events. Roughstock and Team Roping opportunities are offered at select rodeos.
Automatic Advancement (AA) is limited to 100 in each discipline. The number of entries in each Qualifier determines the number of AA positions awarded at an event (see Advancement Rulebook for AA scale). Athletes can qualify for one or all three ACT Regional Semi-Finals.

THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO MAKE IT TO THE AMERICAN CONTENDER TOURNAMENT REGIONAL SEMI-FINALS:

  • Rank among the Top 95 AA Qualifiers in said region;
  • Five (5) athletes in each discipline from the 2024 PRCA/WPRA world standings #6 through #20 are seeded to each Region, and
  • The remaining spots are filled by high-stakes buy-in entries.
THE AMERICAN CONTENDER TOURNAMENT REGIONAL FINALS features the Top 10 in each discipline plus Top 3 in the Redemption Round (timed events only).
Guaranteed prize money of $540,000 is distributed across the three Regional Finals. Each season 27 winning athletes leave the Regional Finals with $10,000 EACH before they even get to Globe Life Field for The American Contender Tournament Finals.
THE AMERICAN CONTENDER TOURNAMENT FINALS draws the Top 5 athletes in each discipline from each Regional Finals riding for a shot to advance to The American Rodeo. Winning athletes are guaranteed a share of the $360,000 prize money.
THE AMERICAN RODEO is a winner-take-all showdown at Globe Life Field where only Contender athletes are eligible to win the $1 million bonus. If more than one wins their discipline, the bonus will be divided amongst them. $2.286 million was dispersed at The American in 2024.

DOWNLOAD THE AMERICAN CONTENDER TOURNAMENT COMPETITION RULES

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DOWNLOAD THE AMERICAN CONTENDER TOURNAMENT RULES OF ADVANCEMENT

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Information and specific inquiries, 
please email: 
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