Dodge City Pro Rodeo Pays Out Without Finals After Storm Ends Event Early

Dodge City Pro Rodeo just finished up their annual event which has happened every year since joining the PRCA in '77, but they weren't able to finish as normal.

There are few rodeos left on the year that offer an opportunity for contestants to compete multiple times, but Dodge is one of them and contestants have been battling for a spot in the finals since July 30.

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The day sheet was finalized going into Sunday night, but champions weren't going to be crowned after the finals, but instead without.

At first the committee was hoping to only postpone, but a massive storm halted that idea. Eventually, there was too much damage for the animals and athletes to do their jobs safely and they made the heartbreaking and tough decision to cancel.

Alas champions would be crowned, just without making another run/ride.

19-year-old Kyan Wilhite stole the show and it would have been fun to watch him compete in the finals in the tie-down roping. The New Mexico native tied the fastest calf of the rodeo by over half of a second and had the only sub-eight second run to take both the second round and the average.

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Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi was the one who was hard to beat in the barrel racing. She placed no worse than third in either round and ran one of only two sub-17 second runs (trailing only Emily Beisel). Pozzi-Tonozzi took home over $8,100 in her quest to catch world standings leader, Kassie Mowry.

Fans weren't going to see steer wrestler Tristan Martin in the finals, but he set the arena on fire in the second round. The Louisiana native was a blazing 3.2 seconds to take round two with the fastest time of the entire rodeo.

Jayco Roper was the lone rough stock athlete to solely own his event-the bareback riding. Roper had the highest marked ride of the three with an 88.5 point ride aboard Championship Pro Rodeo's Ranch & Co Time.

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Dodge City paid out over $400,000 to the contestants who were able to capitalize there. The committee did the right thing when they called the finals off, no matter how difficult that was, the safety of all athletes (which includes the animals) is top priority.

The race to Vegas is on and fans can count on seeing some of the Dodge City victors under the bright lights of the Thomas and Mack when December rolls around.

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