— 2026 WCJR Unveils Expanded Format, New Partnership with CN Productions–
Guthrie, Okla. – The Cinch World Championship Junior Rodeo (WCJR), presented by Montana Silversmiths, has announced the event format and schedule for the 2026 event, along with a new collaboration with CN Productions. The event will return to the iconic Lazy E Arena on new, earlier dates, July 6–11, and will feature enhanced payouts, updated qualification routes, and more opportunities to win for athletes. The 2025 event paid out over $410,000.
Recently, the WCJR and the International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR) in Shawnee, Oklahoma, coordinated their event dates through 2028 to create a two-week youth rodeo showcase in Oklahoma. This alignment maximizes competition opportunities for young athletes and is expected to award $750,000 combined between the two events. Future WCJR & IFYR Event Dates:
| Year | WCJR Dates | IFYR Dates |
| 2026 | July 6–11 | July 12-17 |
| 2027 | July 7–12 | July 11-16 |
| 2028 | July 5–10 | July 9-14 |
The 2026 competition will once again be divided into two age divisions. The Youth Division (15 & under) will compete for $5,000 added per discipline and may also “enter up” into the Junior Division (19 & under), which features $10,000 added per discipline. New for 2026, a special roll-over option will be available in barrels and poles, allowing Youth contestants to carry their times into the Junior division.
There are two routes to qualify for the event:
- Nominate through the Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ). The top 15 contestants per timed event discipline and the top three contestants per roughstock discipline will earn a direct spot in the semi-finals with no additional entry fee—standings determined from the VRQ 2026 WCJR Leaderboard as of June 22, 2026. To nominate, visit vrqapp.com.
- Enter the WCJR Last Chance Qualifier. From the LCQ qualifier, the top six timed event athletes in round one and round two, along with the top 15 in the aggregate, will move forward and earn a position in the semi-finals rounds. Entries will open April 1 on Nextgen Rodeo.
New to 2026, WCJR timed event nominations through the VRQ will not have any age restrictions, and any athlete 19 and under can nominate.
In the roughstock events, the top three contestants from the VRQ will advance directly to the semi-finals with no entry fees. The remaining athletes must enter the event starting on April 1. All roughstock semi-finals will be limited to a total of 15 athletes.
Contestants that do not qualify through the LCQ will have one more shot to qualify through the buyback round. The top three in that round will also move on to the semi-finals.
The semi-finals round will consist of the top 15 athletes from the WCJR Leaderboard, 27 from the LCQ, and three from the buyback round, with a total of 45 timed event athletes competing in the semi-finals round. The top 15 times in the timed events and the top eight scores in the roughstock will advance to the final round. WCJR World Champion will be determined on the aggregate time and or high score from the semi-finals round and the finals round.
For a detailed schedule, please see here. The event schedule is as follows:
| Date | Event |
| July 6 | Move-In & Check-In Opens |
| July 7 | LCQ Check-In Deadline; Jackpots Begin |
| July 8 | LCQ Round 1 |
| July 9 | LCQ Round 2 |
| July 10 | Buyback Round |
| July 10 | Semi-Finals: Barrels & Poles |
| July 10 | Semi-Finals: Rough Stock |
| July 11 | Semi-Finals: Tie-Down, Team Roping, Breakaway, Goat Tying, Steer Wrestling |
| July 11 | WCJR Finals Performance; Top 15 per event for all Timed Events – Top Eight Per Roughstock Event |
“We are excited to partner with Chris Neal and the CN Productions team to produce the 2026 WCJR,” said Dan Wall, General Manager of the Lazy E Arena. “Chris has a proven track record with events like Future Stars, Rising Stars, Oklahoma’s Richest, and the Kimes Ranch Million Dollar Breakaway. Together, we’re focused on delivering a high-level production experience for contestants and offering more opportunities to win money at the WCJR.”
For more event details, advancement charts, and athlete information, visit wcjrodeo.com.
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