HURON — More than 200 contestants from 12 states and Canada will be part of the PRCA Championship Rodeo presented by Iverson Auto on Friday and Saturday at the Dakota Events Complex on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds.

The rodeo, which begins at 7 p.m., both nights, will match some of the areas top cowboys and cowgirls against award-winning stock provided by Mosbrucker Rodeo Company out of Mandan, N.D.

The events included in each rodeo performance are bareback riding, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, ladies WPRA barrel racing, team roping and bull riding.

In addition to the winnings, which go toward the PRCA standings to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, contestants from the Badlands Circuit will be competing for points to qualify for their year-end finals and the chance to represent the circuit at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, Colo., in July. The Badlands circuit includes the states of North Dakota and South Dakota.

Some of the top competitors from the Badlands Circuit, including the top two in the all-around standings are registered to compete in the Huron event.

Thayne Elshere of Sturgis is the current leader in the all-around standings and is also second in the saddle bronce riding standings.

Austin Hurlburt of Norfolk, Neb., leads the tie down roping standings and is currently second in the all-around.

Five of the top 10 tie down ropers in the Badlands Circuit will be competing. Joining Hurlburt will be Lee Sivertsen of Ree Heights (fourth); Myles Kenzy of Iona (sixth); Trey Young of Dupree (eighth) and Ty Moser of Volga (10th).

Thayne Elshere of Sturgis, who currently sits second, will lead five of the top 10 saddle bronc riders from the Badlands Circuit into the event.

Joining Elshere will be Jack Foster of Faith (fourth); Lane Schuelke of Newell (fifth); Talon Elshere of Hereford (eighth) and Gavin Nelson of Sentinel Butte, N.D. (10th).

Butch Levell of Omaha, Neb., is the top team roper in the Badlands Circuit. He will be joined in the event by Matt Zancanella of Aurora (sixth); Nevada Berquist of Belle Fourche (seventh); Eilliot Gourneau of Kennebec (eighth); and Payton Pirrung of Hartford (eighth).

Three of the top five from the Badlands Circuit in bareback riding will be competing. The trio will be led by Kashton Ford of Sturgis, who is second. Clay Jorgenson of Watford City, N.D., is third, while Kyle Bloomquist of Raymond, Minn., is fourth.

Also competing in bareback riding will be Brandon Crawley of Yass, Saskatchewan, Canada, who is eighth in the Badlands Circuit standings.

Cole Fulton of Miller is currently second in the Badlands Circuit in steer wrestling. Also competing in the event is Carson Good of Long Valley, who is 10th in the standings.

Top-10 ranked bull riders slated to compete are Dalton Praus of Dickinson, N.D. (eighth) and Jesse Kline of Hartford (ninth).

Other area competitors entered for the PRCA Champion Rodeo are Lachlan Coleman of Redfield (saddle bronc); Amy Schimke of Wessington Springs (barrel racing); Landon Siversten of Ree Heights (steer wrestling); and Rafe Wientjes of Onida (tie down roping).

Tim Fuller of Derby, Kan., will be the rodeo announcer, while Shawn “Boom Boom” Thompson of Sidney, Iowa, will be the rodeo clown.

Also providing entertainment will be The Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls, which is a sister duo of from Chester, Utah, who will performing their acrobatic tricks on horseback.

Serving as the bull figires will be Layton Woodbury of Carson, N.D., and Kolten Heuer of Dumont, Iowa, who are tabbed as two of the best in the business.

Advanced tickets are available at Double D Western Store in Huron or at the South Dakota State Fair Administrative Office. Adult advanced tickets are $20, while advance tickets for children ages 2-12 are $5.

Ticket price will increase $5 at the gate on the day of the rodeo.

For more information, contact the South Dakota State Fair office at 605-353-7340.