Two rodeos held in South Dakota won top honors and a third event was a finalist at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s annual Awards Night last week in Las Vegas (Dec. 4, 2024).
Rodeo Rapid City, produced by Sutton Rodeo from Onida, earned the 2024 PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year and the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche (foo-sh) was named the 2024 PRCA Medium Rodeo of the Year. The Days of ‘76 Rodeo in Deadwood was one of the five finalists for Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year.
The family owned Sutton Rodeo company puts on the annual Rodeo Rapid City event in late January or early February at The Monument in Rapid City. According to the sixth-generation rodeo company’s website, they also earned the Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year honor in 2002, 2003, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
The Black Hills Roundup is held annually in Belle Fourche. In Oct. 2024, it was given a Remuda Award and received the third-place Justin Best Footing Award. The annual Remuda Awards go to “the stock contracting firm and rodeo committee that provide the best, most consistent pen of bucking horses, creating the best opportunities for contestants to score well.” It was the first time the Black Hills Roundup has received this honor. The Justin Best Footing Award is for improvements made to the rodeo grounds. Recent modifications include a new drain tile in the arena, laser leveling of the entire arena and rock pickers to clean the soil.
The 2025 Rodeo Rapid City will take place Jan. 31–Feb. 8 at The Monument in Rapid City. The Black Hills Roundup will host its 106th edition July 1-5, 2025, in Belle Fourche. The Days of ‘76 Rodeo will be held July 20-26, 2025, in Deadwood.
The finalists for the PRCA’s 2024 awards are below.
Medium Rodeo of the Year
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Belle Fourche, S.D.
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Eagle, Colo.
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Weatherford, Texas
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Homestead, Fla.
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Blackfoot, Idaho
Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year
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Rapid City, S.D.
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Fort Worth, Texas
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San Antonio, Texas
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Nampa, Idaho
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Houston, Texas
Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year
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Cheyenne, Wyo.
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Pendleton, Ore.
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Reno, Nev.
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Deadwood, S.D.
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Sikeston, Mo.
Small Rodeo of the Year
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Sterling, Colo.
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Queen Creek, Ariz.
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Goliad, Texas
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Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J.
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Yuma, Colo.
Announcer of the Year
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Anthony Lucia
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Garrett Yerigan
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Will Rasmussen
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Wayne Brooks
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Bob Tallman
Stock Contracting Firm of Year
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Frontier Rodeo
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Smith Pro Rodeos
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Beutler & Son Rodeo
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Pete Carr Pro Rodeo
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Powder River Rodeo
Photographer of the Year
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Click Thompson
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Clay Guardipee
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Roseanna Sales
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Hailey Rae
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Fernando Sam-Sin
Music Director of the Year
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Joshua Hilton
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Bradley Narducci
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Austin Lopeman
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Jill Franzen Loden
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Benje Bendele
Clown/Barrelman of the Year
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John Harrison
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J.J. Harrison
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Matt Merritt
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Justin Rumford
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Dusty Myers
Comedy Act of the Year
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John Harrison
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Justin Rumford
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Matt Merritt
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Matthew Tarr
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Cody Sosebee
Dress Act of the Year
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Bobby Kerr
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Rider and Bethany Kiesner
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Haley Proctor and Madison MacDonald
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Tomas Garcilazo
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Dusti Crain Dickerson and Justin Dickerson
Pickup Man of the Year
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Matt Twitchell
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Shawn Calhoun
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Taos Muncy
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Bobby Marriott
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Tyler Kraft
Bullfighter of the Year
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Cody Webster
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Dusty Tuckness
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Nathan Jestes
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Cody Emerson
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Noah Krepps
Secretary of the Year
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Eva Chadwick
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Sandy Gwatney
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Sunni Deb Backstrom
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Shawna Ray
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Amanda Sanders
Timer of the Year
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Molly Jane Twitchell
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Shawna Ray
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Kim Sutton
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Courtney Morehead
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Sandy Gwatney
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