It took a bit of work, but with the help of a the ERA media relations, I was able to come up with the big money winners from this past weekend’s inaugural event in Redmond, Ore.
Because the association is a points-based system, the results show points instead of dollars. It’s similar to the way the PBR used points to define its year-end champions; the difference would be that the PBR also has included financial earnings with its results. Thankfully, Holly DeLaune provided me with the payout list per placing; from there, it was just about matching the contestants that placed with their prospective earnings based on the list.
The biggest money-earners from the two performances were bull rider Zack Oakes and team ropers Derrick Begay and Clay O’Brien Cooper, who pocketed $6,625 each. Begay and Cooper won Friday night, then finished as the runners-up Saturday. Oakes won on Night 2 after a second-place finish in the opener.
Bareback rider Richmond Champion, who won the first round and finished in a tie for second with Kaycee Feild on Saturday, pocketed $6,313.
In all, the ERA paid out $100,000 each night.