By Derek Beck | Territorial Rodeo Update
The road to Las Vegas is set, but rodeo season isn’t slowing down just yet. Before December’s National Finals Rodeo takes center stage, some of the Territory’s best cowboys and cowgirls have championship business to finish closer to home.
The Badlands Circuit Finals runs October 9–11 at the North Dakota State Fair Center in Minot. Three performances will settle the weekend’s championship races, with competition beginning at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and concluding at 1 p.m. Sunday.
For fans across the Dakotas, Nebraska and Minnesota, there are plenty of familiar names to follow.
Will DeMontigny enters as the bareback riding leader, ahead of Ben Kramer and Kyle Bloomquist. In steer wrestling, Nebraska’s Austin Hurlburt holds the top spot. Hurlburt also qualified third in tie-down roping, giving him opportunities in two events.
Seven-time circuit champion Trey Young leads the tie-down field, with Nebraska’s Grant Turek second. Christopher Nelson tops the saddle bronc standings, followed by Cole Elshere and Nebraska cowboy Garrett Long.
Team roping adds another pair of South Dakota leaders: Tyan Johnson enters first among headers, while Rance Bowden leads the heelers.
One of the weekend’s biggest storylines belongs to bull rider Riley Shippy. The South Dakota cowboy enters with more than $36,000 in circuit earnings, more than twice the total of second-place Jeff Bertus. This marks Shippy’s fourth trip to the Badlands Circuit Finals.
That lead puts Shippy in a strong position, while the Finals average gives the rest of the field another championship to chase.
Josie Mousel leads the breakaway roping field, adding another opportunity to an already memorable season. The Colman, South Dakota, cowgirl won both the goat tying and women’s all-around championships at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper while competing for the University of Wyoming.
The barrel racing field brings plenty of star power. Piper Cordes enters first, followed by Summer Kosel and Lisa Lockhart. Hailey Kinsel is also among the qualifiers headed to Minot, setting up a weekend with some of the sport’s most recognizable competitors.
There’s more at stake than a strong finish to the season. Circuit competition offers two routes to the NFR Open: the year-end championship and the Circuit Finals average championship. Those titles send competitors on to represent their circuit in Colorado Springs. When one contestant wins both, the second-place finisher in the year-end standings receives the other qualifying berth.
That makes consistency across the weekend especially valuable. A contestant chasing the average can leave Minot with a championship and a national opportunity, even without entering as the season earnings leader.
Friday’s opening performance is Military Appreciation Night. Saturday features North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame Night, and Sunday’s “Day of the Champion” closes the competition with the crowning of winners. Tickets and event information are available at BadlandsCircuitFinalsRodeo.com.
Next month, the Territory’s attention turns south to the Prairie Circuit Finals at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. That rodeo is scheduled for November 19–21, with performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. each evening.
Vegas may be waiting, but there are still plenty of gold buckles left to hand out.
A “Territory Shoutout to Legendary Sioux Steel Company and Gingerich Structures for your sponsorship of the TRU all year!