by Ted Harbin

It’s a 19-day spectacle with a total payout of $2,518,500, with $65,000 awarded to each of the nine champions. It culminated Saturday afternoon with the finale, which featured 10 contestants in each event battling in the championship round. From there, the top four advanced to the shootout.

That’s where the big money was distributed, with $125,000 per event. That was $1.125 million awarded in one day, but big checks were just the icing on the cake. The batter that baked was filled with colorful characters and amazing feats.

It’s hard to pick just one thing that stands out, so it’s best to start at the beginning of the four-person round. Houston kicks off each performance with tie-down roping, and the race to the championship was one to remember. The NRG Stadium record was 7.4 seconds, established in 2017 by four-time world champion Caleb Smidt.

Shane Hanchey, the 2013 world champion, was the gunner and threw his hands in the air in 7.2 seconds. Two ropers later, Kincade Henry was 7.3. The last to rope, Riley Webb – the defending Houston champion and reigning three-time world titlist – beat them both with a 6.5. It was Webb’s third title at the stadium that also houses the Houston Texans.

“They pushed it, and they made me step it up and go faster,” Webb said in a story I wrote for ProRodeo.com. “So, when they started breaking arena records, I just had to shorten my rope up.

“I knew I had to try the barrier on, try the start on and just go as fast as I can and throw caution to the wind and let it all hang out. There was no choice.”

The fans were rewarded with greatness, from Stetson Wright winning the bronc riding title after a ride-off with Shorty Garrett to all four cowboys in the shootout having a ride-off in bull riding. Canadian Jake Gardner was the only man to cover in eight attempts. After finishing outside the top 50 in 2025, the British Columbia cowboy now leads the race for rodeo gold with six months left in the season.

Kassie Mowry has found a sweet spot at NRG Stadium. She won for the third time and was one of three contestants to repeat, joining Webb and bareback rider Rocker Steiner – all three happen to be sporting 2025 gold buckles. With its massive purse, Houston has a way of being a major push. In addition to Mowry, Webb and Steiner, earnings from the Bayou City helped pave the way for steer wrestler Tucker Allen and breakaway roper Taylor Munsell to win gold buckles last season.

Maybe the same can happen for breakaway roper Madi Williams, the daughter of eight-time heading champ Speed Williams;steer wrestler Holden Myers, the son of 2001 titlist Rope Myers and grandson of Butch, the 1980 bulldogging champ; and team ropers Korbin Rice and Cooper Freeman.

We’ll have to wait and see, but we can always look back at this past weekend and remember the greatness.