Who Advanced From CINCH Playoffs Puyallup First Bracket?

It's go time in rodeo. The top 15 are not safe until after the last cowboy and cowgirl go during the CINCH Playoffs. Here is who is advancing from the first set.

The team roping is a must watch event to see who will advance. / GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK

Contestants know the importance of the CINCH playoffs on the final top 15 standings each year. Every season there are upsets coming out of the results of these rodeos. The first leg of the Playoffs has started in Puyallup, Wash.

After two full go rounds the first four contestants in each of the events have earned their positions to advance to the final performance on Sunday, September 8 in an effort to be in the final four who will advance to the Governor's Cup in South Dakota.

If you are on the bubble and don't make the cut to go to the Governor's Cup, there will be intense stress sweating out the results of who does well. Those contestants that sit in the numbers 10 through 20 in the world standings, know the importance of the final rodeo of the year. It can literally be life changing.

All of that said, here is who took advantage of the opportunity in the first leg of the Playoffs.

Results

In the bareback riding the biggest stories are the men that advanced in the number three and four positions out of the first two rounds. Garrett Shadbolt will ride again on Sunday and that helps him on the year end as he currently sits number 12 in the standings. While he may be safe, it certainly can't hurt for him to have the chance at thousands of dollars.

The man with the most to gain is Jess Pope from Waverly, Kansas. With $105,642 won on the season so far, he currently sits at the dreaded number 16 position. Pope is looking to make his fifth appearance at the National Finals Rodeo, but needs to gain an edge in the last few weeks of the season to do so. He has certainly put himself in the right place to make that happen.

Clayton Hass has four previous NFR qualifications on his resume and he is working on number five. Currently ranked number 20 with $72,268. He is just a little over $4,000 from number 15, Stephen Culling. That is just a little more than one performance and he could certainly win that much with another good performance in Puyallup.

The other three to advance in the steer wrestling include J.D. Struxness, Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne. Payne is an interesting and unique athlete as he is one of only a few seen without any sponsor patches on his shirt.

Western Sports Media took notice of the cowboy at last year's NFR and has since cut a deal with him to be a sponsored athlete. Payne should be a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes who believe that NFR success can't happen without a plethora of sponsors.

The team roping certainly has a story brewing. Two-time World Champion Chad Masters along with his partner, Wyatt Cox were the fastest team on two head for the first set. The importance here is that the pair sit right around the number 20 position in the heading and heeling world standings.

Masters has won $76,897 while Cox has season earnings of $80,519. Masters is approximately $18,000 away from the number 15 spot, but the team has earned nearly $5,200 already at Puyallup. So, while it seems like along stretch to make, it is well within the veteran's reach if things continue to go their way.

The team of Luke Brown and Travis Graves also earned an advancement to the finals on Sunday. This is another team trying to work their way up the standings. Brown is currently number 18 with $88,156. Cody Snow holds down the bubble position at number 15 with $94,692.

Graves is ranked number 19 with $82,780 while the number 15 position is held by Brady Minor who has earned $95,905. The bottom spots in the team roping are literally going to come down to who qualifies for the Governor's Cup.

All of the saddle bronc riders who advanced are in the top 15 but Kolby Wanchuk and Brody Wells certainly could use a boost to secure their positions. Wanchuk sits at number 11 while Wells is too close to the bottom at the number 14 position.

The tie-down roping story certainly belongs to Hunter Herrin from Apache, Okla. so far. The talent is ranked number 15 right now with $88,924 and certainly isn't safe. He will need to take advantage of the opportunity and advance on to South Dakota to ensure his position.

China Spring, Texas cowgirl Halyn Lide made strides to securing her first NFR qualification by qualifying to the final round. Like is ranked at number 13 after the last updated WPRA standings on September 4. She will face a tough set of eight girls on Sunday afternoon to determine the top four who get to advance. There's no question many of them will be trying to claw their way to the top and it will be some of the toughest competition all season.

Trevor Reiste has $118,339 on the season and is ranked number 12. His advancement to the final round is an opportunity to secure his place just a bit more and take some pressure off coming into the final week.

The second set of competition kicks off in an afternoon performance and will finish Saturday night to determine the next set of four to make up the eight contestants that will battle head to head to get the nod to move on to the Governor's Cup.