Rickie Fanning Wins The American Rodeo, Over $700K: The American Rodeo Results, Format

Here’s the full picture, from the first qualifier to the last run in Arlington—and what makes this year so intense.

Step 1: The Open Qualifiers

From March 2025 through March 15, 2026, athletes competed at open qualifier events across the country, trying to earn enough points or automatic advancements to punch their ticket to one of three regional stops.

Not every roper had to grind the qualifier circuit to get to the regionals, though. Athletes ranked No. 6–20 in the 2025 WPRA world standings were seeded directly into the regional semi-finals—no qualifier points required. They still had to compete and earn their way through like everyone else once they got there, however.

Step 2: The Three Regionals

• Eastern Regional — Lexington, KY (April 10–11)

• Central Regional — Oklahoma City, OK (April 17–18)

• Western Regional — Las Vegas, NV (May 1–2)

Each regional was a multi-day event. Up to 125 ropers competed in the semi-finals across two go-rounds, with the top 10 in the aggregate advancing to the finals.

• Hadley Thompson Leads Charge to Arlington: American Western Regional Full Results
• The American Rodeo Central Semifinals: Results, Format, and More
• Emmry Edwards Is Going To Arlington After a Big Win At The American Rodeo’s Eastern Regionals

The top five from each region represent the Contender Finalists advancing to Arlington.

Step 3: Arlington, Friday Night — The Semi-Finals

Fifteen cowgirls will show up to Globe Life Field on Friday, May 22—the top 5 from each of the three regionals. It’s a one-head semi-finals with $360,000 on the line. Then, the field narrows again, and the top 5 from that night move on to Saturday.

Step 4: Arlington, Saturday Night — The Showdown

The top 5 qualifiers from Friday nights semi-finals go head-to-head with the top 5 cowgirls in the 2025 WPRA world standings in the Showdown Round of 10.

And for the final field narrowing, the top 4 from the one-head Showdown Round advance to the Championship Round. That is where you want to be—it’s where champions are crowned, and money is won.

The $2 Million Reason This Year Is Different

The Qualifier Bonus—reserved exclusively for athletes who came up through the open qualifier system, not the world standings invitees—has gone unclaimed since 2024. That means the pot has rolled over. In 2026, $2 million is sitting there for a qualifier if they win on Saturday night.

And this is the last year it rolls over. No matter what happens in Arlington, the bonus resets after 2026.

The American Rodeo Championship Weekend goes May 22–23, 2026, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Results

Saturday 10-man

2026 American Rodeo Championship — Breakaway Roping

Rickie Fanning also won her share of the $2 million qualifier bonus, unofficially over $660,000 on top of her $100K win.

Semifinals

How to Watch The American Rodeo 2026

The American Rodeo airs live May 22-23, 2026, across Cowboy Channel, FS1, FS2 and FOX, with streaming on Cowboy+ and YouTube. Coverage opens with the semifinals Friday night and builds to the championship round and final Saturday. Here’s the full broadcast schedule (all times ET; schedule subject to change):

Friday, May 22

• 8 p.m. — The American Rodeo Countdown (Cowboy Channel, Cowboy+, YouTube)
• 8:30 p.m. — The American Rodeo Semi-Finals (FS2)

Saturday, May 23

• 1 p.m. — The American Rodeo Countdown (Cowboy Channel, Cowboy+, YouTube)
• 1:30 p.m. — The American Rodeo Showdown Round (FS1)
• 4:30 p.m. — The American Rodeo Countdown (Cowboy Channel, Cowboy+, YouTube)
• 5 p.m. — The American Rodeo Championship Round (FOX)
• 7 p.m. — The American Rodeo Final (Cowboy Channel, Cowboy+, YouTube)

Do I need cable to watch The American Rodeo?

Not entirely. Saturday’s championship round airs on FOX, which is free over the air with an antenna or included in any basic streaming bundle. The Friday semifinals are the catch — they air only on FS2, a channel that typically sits in a higher streaming tier. To stream FS2, you need a live-TV service that carries it, then sign in to the Fox Sports app or foxsports.com:

• Sling TV — Cheapest one-night option. A $4.99 day pass gets you 24-hour access; FS2 otherwise requires the Sports Extra add-on ($11/mo) on top of Sling Blue ($45.99/mo).
• DIRECTV — FS2 is included in the MySports package ($64.99/mo) with a five-day free trial. Good if you want to cancel after the weekend.
• YouTube TV — FS2, FS1 and your local FOX station come with the Sports Plan ($64.99/mo).
• Fubo and Hulu + Live TV — Both carry FS2 in their base or sports tiers.