The Ins and Outs of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo

Understand the format and rules for the upcoming San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

Gus Gaillard | Fernando Sam-Sin

The Texas Swing is running full steam ahead, and rodeo athletes from across the country are battling it out at some of the highest paying rodeos of the season.

The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo will run from Feb. 12 to the finals, Feb. 28. The top contestants in each event will advance through the brackets, semi-finals, then on to the finals. Each of the five brackets consists of 10 contestants per event, making 50 contests per event total.

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Due to the widespread EHV-1 outbreak last November, the San Antonio qualifier in Uvalde, Texas, was cancelled halfway through. Typically, the top 40 contestants from the previous year's standings are automatically qualified, and the remaining positions are filled by the qualifier.

Since the qualifier was not completed, the remaining 10 spots will be filled based on the 2026 world standings for the tie-down roping, steer wrestling, breakaway and barrel racing.

Since the first round was completed for some events before Uvalde was cancelled, for the bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding and team roping, qualifiers will be determined by the top 10 rides and scores in the first round.

San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Format

Though the order of the rounds is the same, San Antonio functions differently from other major Texas rodeos like Fort Worth or Houston. Rather than total money won resetting after advancing from the brackets to the semi-finals, contestants' total money accumulates throughout the competition.

Also, unlike Fort Worth, there is no average payout for the bracket rounds. This means the cowboys and cowgirls have to go for the win every night to collect round money, and can't rely on just staying consistent for an average check.

Each bracket consists of three rounds, with the top four money winners advancing to the semi-finals. The 20 contestants who make the cut for the semi-finals are then split into two pools. The top five total money earners (including money won in brackets) move on to the finals.

Contestants who do not advance from the semi-finals have one more chance to qualify at the wildcard, which takes place just a few hours before the finals on Feb. 28. In the wildcard, the fastest time or highest score advances to the finals.

Once the finals starts, the contestants return to a level playing field, regardless of money won so far in the rodeo. The fastest time or highest-marked ride in the finals will be declared the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo champion.

San Antonio is sure to be a wild ride as the top contestants prepare to face off at the second stop of the Texas Swing.

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