Buechner, Gray earn big shot

Bareback riders Rowdy Buechner and Ryan Gray have earned a chance to make big bucks as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association season winds down.

Buechner, from Sandpoint, and Gray, from Cheney, have qualified for the Pace Picante ProRodeo Challenge.

Only 12 competitors in each event qualify for the Challenge, part of what could be considered a “made for TV” rodeo event, introduced in 2000 as part of the Wrangler Pro Rodeo Tour.

There are 12 qualifying rodeos throughout the summer with the top 12 advancing to Omaha, Neb., on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, when there is $350,000 in prize money. The most recent qualifiers were in Ellensburg, Wash., Puyallup, Wash., and Pendleton, Ore.

The format has all 12 competitors in each event competing on Friday, with the top four earning money and the top eight advancing to the semifinals on Saturday. The top four in the semifinals earn money and advance to the finals Saturday night.

CBS will air a 90-minute show on the semifinal and final rounds on Oct. 29.

Earlier in the season, there were 12 winter rodeos to qualify for the Pace Picante Shoot-Out in Reno, Nev.

Those that make the semifinals in Reno or Omaha can earn more money, advancing to the Pace Picante Classic in Dallas, where the prize money is $50,000.