$75,000 Standalone Team Roping Event Brings New Hope and Pressure to NFR Race

With $75,000 of added money available on the last day of the schedule, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo picture and World Standings could see significant shake ups.

For veteran ropers Coleman Proctor (red shirt) and Travis Graves, the opportunity to compete at NFR could hinge on what happens during the Last Hoorah Team Roping at 377 Arena on the final day of the regular season. | Fernando Sam-Sin/@fsamsin

Excitement. Angst. Trepidation. Enthusiasm. Uncertainty. Relief. Optimism. 

Ask a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association competitor about the Last Hoorah Team Roping at 377 Arena in Stephenville, Texas, on Sept. 30 and the gamut of emotions gets brought up during the conversation. 

The brain child of 377 Arena owner Troy Gibbs with assistance from ProRodeo Hall of Famer and arena manager Tee Woolman, this event marks the first standalone team roping competition to count towards a cowboy’s PRCA ledger. And with $75,000 available on the last day of the 2026 regular season, the results have a chance to significantly impact the qualifier list for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. 

“Being a guy that’s on the wrong side of the bubble right now, you’re excited about any huge opportunity to change the season for you,” said roper Coleman Proctor. He’s currently 28th in the Header World Standings.

“Historically, Stephenville (Cowboy Capital of the World PRCA Rodeo on Sept. 24-26) has been one of the last rodeos that guys could use to slip into the NFR. You’d go there trying to win maybe $1,500 or $2,000. Now to show up and be able to win $15,000, that’s huge. That’s a big opportunity for guys that if they miss the Governor’s Cup,  they’re still not out of the game. It’s very much going to have NFR ramifications but also gold buckle ramifications going into the finals. It’s hard not to be really excited about it.”

Opened in June 2022, the 377 Arena was built with rodeo’s timed event competitors in mind. Featuring two covered arenas that each run 256 feet long and 143 feet wide, the facility holds regular jackpots for team ropers and barrel racers, while also allowing for practice and other showcase events. With 20 acres of parking, 72 RV hookups, and a 220-stall barn, the complex has become one of the sport’s crown jewels. 

And on Sept. 30, all eyes will be on this Texas hot spot to see what unfolds. 

Funding for the payout is being provided by Gibbs who worked with the PRCA to get the event sanctioned. The format is straight forward – two initial runs for everyone followed by a short-round. There’s no cap or restriction on who can compete aside from being a PRCA card holder or permit competitor. 

“There’s people that talk about it, and then there’s people that do it – and Troy Gibbs is a doer,” heeler and Stephenville native Paden Bray said. He's 20th in the Heeler World Standings.

“He wanted to have a team roping, and he wanted to do it kind of his way. There’s never been a standalone team roping event. It's very cool that he stepped up and was able to do everything his way, but also joined with the PRCA to make it official for us.”

What this inaugural event has the chance to do is what has everyone talking. 

With the potential to walk away up to $15,000 richer in one day, the leaderboards could see significant shifts at the finish line. For context, if the event were held today, the gap between 10th and 24th in the PRCA Header World Standings is around $16,000, meaning a competitor could go from well off the cutline to bona fide NFR qualifier instantly. 

Granted, between now and Sept. 30, there are numerous events still to unfold, including the Puyallup (Wash.) Rodeo, Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up, North Dakota Roughrider Cup and Cinch Governor’s Cup, all of which provide opportunities for separation. But even with those sizable payouts looming, the margins up and down the rankings always end up razor-thin.

Last year, the difference between first and second in the heeler world standings was less than $5,000, meaning money from a regular-season event like the Last Hoorah, even just round money, could have reshaped who left Las Vegas with the gold buckle. 

While the opportunity has everyone excited, there’s also a lot of uncertainty and some constructive critiques. Being a first-year event on the last day of the regular season, questions about who will show up and what impact the results could have are on everyone’s mind. 

Veteran header and 12-time NFR qualifier Derrick Begay is grateful to finally see a team roping exclusive event, but wouldn’t mind seeing the next iteration get relocated to earlier in the PRCA schedule, much like how the Cinch Roping Fiesta kicks things off for steer and tie-down ropers every October. 

“It’s just my thought. It’s a lot of money to add for an end-of-the-year deal. Because it’s an end-of-the-year deal, there’s a lot of people that go home at that time. The ones that don’t have a chance (at NFR), the ones that are over it, the ones that don’t want to go all the way over there – but on the other hand, it’s also gonna help somebody make the NFR also,” Begay said, noting that he’ll be there if it means he’s got to capitalize on a late season opportunity to crack the top 15.

“The more stuff we have, the better it is for us. I want them to have it. I just wish that we could have it at the beginning of the year when everybody is fresh and everyone is excited and everybody wants to get a head start.” 

Even with some uncertainties, the competition will undoubtedly draw a crowded field of ropers looking to make one last push. And as the action plays out, there is one guarantee – everyone will be watching. 

“The only way team roping gets exciting is if they run some saddle bronc horses in there that you’ve gotta head and heal off of,” Proctor joked. “It’s hard to make team roping nailbiting, but they’ve done a great job of doing it.”