Despite snow and ice, the 20th annual Cinch NTRL Finals paid out $1,015,000, surpassing its 2024 record by $12,000 and yet again taking the title as the highest-paying roping east of the Mississippi.
“We were getting ready to break all records, for sure, then Tuesday before we started, there were major snowstorms throughout the Southeast,” USTRC President John Johnson said. “It was crazy—I-10, I-75 and I-95 were all closed for a couple days. But we still had 2,900 teams and paid out $1,015,000 cash and prizes, making it the largest payout ever east of the Mississippi, topping last year by $12,000.”
Ropers from each corner of the United States gathered in Jacksonville, Florida, Jan. 22-26, setting high hopes for the years to come.
“We had ropers from California to the…