WRCA Announces Rodeo Corpus Christi Will Mark the First Stop of 2022 Triple Crown of Rodeo
By: Kyle Jones
AUSTIN, Texas – The World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) recently announced that Rodeo Corpus Christi will host the first stop to the 2022 WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo (TCR). The first 2022 WCRA Major Rodeo will be held May 11-14 and pay out $550,000.
The TCR is a series of annual major rodeo events which includes an annual bonus that will pay $1 million to any one athlete or collection of athletes who win first place in any three consecutive WCRA Major Rodeos. WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo events are all featured in CBS Television network broadcasts each year.
“The exciting thing about the Triple Crown of Rodeo is the fact that every ride or run could have million-dollar implications, making the action more intense,” said WCRA President Bobby Mote. “Everyone lays it all on the line for a shot at that kind of money. That combination paired with an electric environment at American Bank Center makes it must-see rounds of action.”
Rodeo athletes from all over the globe are eligible to qualify to compete at Rodeo Corpus Christi through the innovative WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ). The top athletes on the WCRA Leaderboard in each discipline will compete for their piece of the more than $550,000 purse across 10 disciplines, which include Bareback Riding, Women’s Breakaway Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Steer Roping, Team Roping (Heading and Heeling), Tie-Down Roping, Barrel Racing, and Bull Riding.
Rodeo Corpus Christi, hosted on the Corpus Christi Bayfront, occurs during the annual Buccaneer Days Festival in early May. It brings together more than 120,000 attendees to promote tradition and community pride in the Coastal Bend by producing exceptional family entertainment that results in educational scholarships.
“We at Buc Days are proud to be a part of the WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo, where we are able to showcase the best athletes in the sport against the best stock on a CBS television broadcast,” said Johnny Philipello, President & CEO.
Format and Nominations:
WCRA will hold timed event qualifying rounds (May 9-10) and all steer roping rounds of competition (May 8) in Robstown, Texas, at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fair Grounds.
The top 48 timed-event athletes (excluding steer roping) on the WCRA leaderboard will be eligible to enter the qualifying rounds (May 9-10), while rough stock disciplines will feature 27 athletes in the progressive rounds (May 11-13).
The top 64 steer ropers on the SR22 leaderboard will advance to the one-day $55,000 May 8 event where the champion will walk away with a $10,000 check. There will be a B Roper Incentive through the three Qualifying Rounds and Aggregate.
Nominations for all Corpus Christi segments (RCC22, SR22, DY) are open now and will close on April 10, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. For information on how to nominate and earn a position, visit wcrarodeo.com.
The No. 1 athletes on the 2022 Rodeo Corpus Christi Leaderboard (RCC22, SR22) will be seeded directly into the Showdown Round (May 14), while timed event athletes ranked 2-4 on the leaderboard will be seeded into the Progressive Round.
All event format information, payout details, and ground rules can be found here.
Division Youth Incentive:
Continuing its support of Youth Rodeo, WCRA welcomes Division Youth (DY) back to the timed event competition in 2022 with the Rodeo Corpus Christi WCRA DY Incentive. This gives Youth rodeo athletes ages 13-19 an opportunity to compete in the timed event disciplines at this event. The top timed-event athletes on the WCRA DY Leaderboard will compete in the qualifying rounds and be eligible for a $21,000 incentive purse and have the same opportunity to advance through the entire rodeo.
In 2021, 18 DY athletes advanced in over five disciplines to the Rodeo Corpus Christi progressive rounds at American Bank Center and netted a little more than $25,000. Team Ropers Luke Dubois and Corey Reid earned a position in the Showdown Round and cleared a combined $4,000.
Since launching in May of 2018, the WCRA and its partners have awarded more than $10,500,000 in new money to rodeo athletes. All WCRA TCR events are subject to Official TCR Rules and Ground Rules associated with each independent event. Rodeo athletes interested in learning more about the WCRA or the VRQ should be directed to wcrarodeo.com.
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