BILLINGS — It's not only the most lucrative regular-season week in professional rodeo — it's also the most intense. Welcome to Cowboy Christmas.
It's the time of year over Fourth of July when cowboys and cowgirls make furious travel runs, hauling trailers and jamming buddies into pickup trucks while crisscrossing the nation to chase as many paychecks as possible in a single week.
For many, it can make or break a dream of reaching December's National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Only the top 15 money winners in each event qualify — and a lot of money is up for grabs.
See which local mainstays and newcomers are hungry for a big week:
MTN Sports' Scott Breen shows us in the video above which local contestants are in position — or on the bubble — to reach this year's mighty NFR.
