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More Money Needed to Burst the Bubble in 2018

The price of everything goes up over time, including making the cut into the Top 15 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings. Since 2016, the amount of money needed to make the Top 15 across all events went up by an average of $8,649.

Although ground money counted for bull riding in 2017 and 2018, but not in 2016, it was not the leader for biggest increase in money needed to make the 2017 Wrangler NFR. Surprisingly, it was tie-down roping that made the biggest increase in total money needed to be earned in the regular season to burst the bubble, jumping by $21,363 from 2016 to 2017.

That changed, though, when comparing the 2017 regular season to 2018, as bull riding’s cutoff had the biggest increase, jumping by $7,108.

Since 2016, steer wrestling had the biggest increase in season earnings needed to qualify for the Wrangler NFR, going up by $19,336.

The following is an event-by-event comparison of bubble-busting totals for 2016-18. (All of 2018’s totals are unofficial pending an official third-party audit.)

Although the cutoff for bareback riding took a step back between 2017 and 2018, the cutoff has increased by $10,699 since 2016.

• Bareback riding 2016: $66,798
• Bareback riding 2017: $86,114
• Bareback riding 2018: $77,497

Steer wrestlers had to win at least $3,514 more in 2018 than in 2017 to qualify for the Wrangler NFR. Since 2016, the cutoff has increased by $19,336.

• Steer wrestling 2016: $55,370
• Steer wrestling 2017: $71,192
• Steer wrestling 2018: $74,706

Although team roping heading’s cutoff took a step backward between 2017 and 2018, the total has increased by $3,208 since 2016.

• Team roping heading 2016: $62,024
• Team roping heading 2017: $74,146
• Team roping heading 2018: $65,232

Team roping heeling is the only event to decrease in total money earned in the regular season needed to make the Top 15 between 2016 and 2018. Since 2016, the cutoff has gone down by $2,353.

• Team roping heeling 2016: $63,702
• Team roping heeling 2017: $68,006
• Team roping heeling 2018: $61,349

Saddle bronc riders had to win at least $492 more in 2018 than in 2017 to qualify for the Wrangler NFR. Since 2016, the cutoff increased by $8,046.

• Saddle bronc riding 2016: $68,095
• Saddle bronc riding 2017: $75,649
• Saddle bronc riding 2018: $76,141

Although the cutoff for tie-down roping took a step back between 2017 and 2018, the cutoff has increased by $13,705 since 2016.

• Tie-down roping 2016: $63,847
• Tie-down roping 2017: $85,210
• Tie-down roping 2018: $77,552

While steer roping’s cutoff took a step back between 2017 and 2018, the cutoff to qualify for the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping has increased by $2,455 since 2016.

• Steer roping 2016: $38,651
• Steer roping 2017: $41,913
• Steer roping 2018: $41,106

Bull riders had to win at least $7,108 more in 2018 than in 2017 to qualify for the Wrangler NFR. Since 2016, the cutoff has increased by $14,096.

• Bull riding 2016: $80,300
• Bull riding 2017: $87,288
• Bull riding 2018: $94,396

Courtesy of PRCA

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