The 2025 season of professional rodeo will be determined at the end of this week. With that, all eyes in the industry will be on the Cinch Playoffs Series Championships at the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, September 26-28. Both contestants looking to make their way into the top 15 to earn a spot in Las Vegas at the National Finals Rodeo in December, as well as standings leaders will be looking to add more money on their quest for a world title. We have all the updates right here.
- Find out more about how the Governor’s Cup works here.
- Find Governor’s Cup Payout here.
- Find 2025 WPRA season updates here.
Megan McLeod-Sprague Wins Round One of Governor’s Cup
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA (September 26, 2025) — Action got underway at the 2025 Governor’s Cup presented by Texas Precious Metals at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD in high octane fashion.
Megan McLeod-Sprague is heading to her first Wrangler NFR, and she is trying to gather as much cash as she can before she heads down the alleyway at the Thomas and Mack. She was the first gunner out tonight in the barrel racing and set the bar high enough that no one could touch it.
She stopped the clock in 14.43 seconds aboard her 2025 San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo Champion Seis Corona (Dash Ta Fame x Tell Em Belle x Tres Seis).
Carlee Otero taking second in a time of 14.54 seconds. Both took advantage of top of the ground as Otero was first out after the drag at six.
Hailey Kinsel and DM Sissy Hayday Win Round Two
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA (September 27, 2025) – The second round action concluded on Saturday night at the 2025 Governor’s Cup presented by Texas Precious Metals at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD and now the semifinal field is set for Showdown Sunday. Taking home the Round Two paycheck was four-time WPRA world champions Hailey Kinsel and DM Sissy Hayday.
Kinsel and “Sister” came into the Governor’s Cup sitting in the No. 4 position in the WPRA world standings with $174,406.29. In night one of the Governor’s Cup Kinsel and Sister had a little tough luck with a downed barrel, but came back in Round Two proving why they are four-time world champions and more than $3 million earners. The duo from Cotulla, Texas, turned in a 14.20 to take home the $11,911 first-place check.
Unfortunately, with the downed barrel in the first night Kinsel will not advance to the semifinals. She did add $11,911 to her 2025 standings with the winning run on Saturday night.
Megan McLeod-Sprague Leads Aggregate
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA (September 27, 2025) – Making another great showing and wracking up the money was Megan McLeod-Sprague and Seis Corona. In Round Two, Sprague and “Jagger” turned in a 14.32 to finish second and earn $8.933. Having already punched her ticket to her first National Finals Rodeo, she is now wanting to climb as close to No. 1 as she can before getting to Las Vegas.
“I got into this event by the skin of my teeth and sure glad we kept after them,” McLeod-Sprague said. “He (Jag) felt the same as last night and I was just focused on keeping my run clean tonight as he can get a little tighter as it goes. He is feeling so good and so honest that he made my job easy.”
Sprague came into the Governor’s Cup in the No. 8 position with $138,130.25, and has so far collected $20,844 in Sioux Falls after winning the first round, and then second in Round Two. She leads the aggregate heading into the Semifinals on Saturday.
Semifinal round action gets underway on Sunday, September 28 at 2:00 pm CT. All action from the richest South Dakota rodeo will be televised on The Cowboy Channel.
Governor’s Cup Semifinal Field Set
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA (September 27, 2025) – The second round action concluded on Saturday night at the 2025 Governor’s Cup presented by Texas Precious Metals at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD and now the semifinal field is set for Showdown Sunday.
This is the culminating event of the CINCH Playoffs boasting $1.4 million in prize money. A total of 12 contestants in each discipline – bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing and bull riding – earned their way to Sioux Falls and now the top 8 in the aggregate have advanced to the semifinals where they will start with a clean slate in hopes of being top 4 to advance to the finals where the winner will take home $32,000.
The barrel racers advancing to the semifinals based on their aggregate placings are:
- 1. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 28.75 points on two runs;
- 2. Carlee Otero, 29.06;
- 3. Emily Beisel, 29.21;
- 4. Wenda Johnson, 29.26;
- 5. Tricia Aldridge, 29.31;
- 6. Tayla Moeykens, 29.39;
- 7. Lisa Lockhart, 29.42;
- 8. Halyn Lide, 29.44.
Bubble Moves: The Race for a Top 15 Finish
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA (September 27, 2025) – The Cinch Playoffs Series Championships at the Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has since 2023 become a pivotal rodeo for the race for the National Finals Rodeo. Especially for those on the “bubble” of a WPRA top 15 finish the $1.4 million rodeo has the potential to shake up the world standings — even for those looking to add to their earnings in the hunt for a world title.
So far at the 2025 event, a barrel racer on the bubble has not picked up a paycheck. This could all change in the Semifinals with Tricia Aldridge and Halyn Lide each sitting in a bubble position and each having qualified for a spot in the semifinals.
Aldridge currently sits in the No. 15 position with $117,182.37, and Lide in No. 17 with $112,614.31. Only $4,568 separating the two. The Semifinals does not pay to the first through fourth places, however they earn an advancement to the Finals, where the first-place paycheck is $32,000.
Check out the 2025 Governor’s Cup total payout breakdown here.
Halyn Lide Wins Governor’s Cup
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA (September 28, 2025) — A whole year of blood, sweat and tears came down to the final weekend in professional rodeo and showdown Sunday at the 2025 Governor’s Cup presented by Texas Precious Metals at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was an electric performance from start to finish.
The afternoon kicked off with the semifinal round featuring the top eight in each event in a clean slate round, with the top four then advancing to the Final round for a shot at the $32,000 paycheck for the winner.
The Semifinals kicked off with Tricia Aldridge and Adios Pantalones turning in a 14.38 to top the Semifinals round. First place through fourth did not earn a paycheck, but it did advance Aldridge to the Finals round. Sitting No. 15 in the WPRA world standings with $117,182.37 Aldridge was looking to put some money on the board in hopes of an NFR qualification.
Another bubble position athlete made the Finals round. Halyn Lide finished fourth in the Semifinals with a time of 14.64 to advance to the Finals round. Prior to the Governor’s Cup Lide was sitting in the No. 17 position in the world standings with $112,614.31.
Sitting outside the WPRA top 15 upon arrival in Sioux Falls, through Rounds One and Two she unfortunately hadn’t picked up any money, meaning the last chance for Lide to qualify for the NFR all came down to the Finals round in Sioux Falls.
Lide and Jettin Ta Heaven turned in a 14.38 in the Finals round. Thanks to the $32,000 championship payday on Sunday Lide is heading back to her second NFR in Las Vegas.
Aldridge and “Adios” also picked up a much needed paycheck after they finished second in the Finals round with a 14.45, worth $24,000.
Unofficially, Lide moves from No. 17 to No. 9 with $144,614. Aldridge moves from No. 15 to No. 11 with $141,182.
Find updated (unofficial) WPRA standings here.
2025 Governor’s Cup Barrel Racing Results
Round One: 1. Megan McLeod-Sprague, Marsing, ID, 14.43 seconds, $11,911; 2. Carlee Otero, Lipan, TX, 14.54, $8,933; 3. Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, OK, 14.68, $5,955; 4. Tayla Moeykens, Three Forks, MT, 14.74, $2,977; 5. Julie Plourde, Krum, TX, 14.78; 6. Emily Beisel, Weatherford, OK, 14.83; 7. Tricia Aldridge, Sanger, TX, 14.85; 8. Halyn Lide, China Springs, TX, 14.91.
Round 2: 1. Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, TX, 14.20 seconds, $11,911; 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague, Marsing, ID, 14.32, $8.933; 3. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, SD, 14.35, $5,944; 4. Emily Beisel, Weatherford, OK, 14.38;
Average (qualifiers for semifinals): 1. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 28.75 points on two runs; 2. Carlee Otero, 29.06; 3. Emily Beisel, 29.21; 4. Wenda Johnson, 29.26; 5. Tricia Aldridge, 29.31; 6. Tayla Moeykens, 29.39; 7. Lisa Lockhart, 29.42; 8. Halyn Lide, 29.44.
Semifinals: 1.Tricia Aldridge, Sanger, TX, 14.38; 2. Carlee Otero, Lipan, TX, 14.41; 3. Megan McLeod-Sprague, Marsing, ID, 14.54; 4. Halyn Lide, China Spring, TX, 14.64; 5. Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, OK, 14.74, $4,000; 6. Emily Beisel, Weatherford, OK, 14.76, $4,000; 7. Tayla Moeykens, Three Forks, MT, 14.77, $4,0008. Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, SD, 19.17, $4,000
Finals: 1. Halyn Lide, 14.38 seconds, $32,000; 2. Tricia Aldridge, 14.45, $24,000; 3. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 14.46, $16,000; 4. Carlee Otero, 19.63, $8,000.
