The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association regular season all but concludes this weekend with few exceptions.

All money earned at PRCA rodeos through the end of the month counts toward qualifying for the Dec. 4-13 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. But beginning Oct. 1, winnings count toward the 2009 world title races.

The exceptions are the inaugural Heartland ProRodeo Series Championship in Waco on Oct. 3-11, the Dodge Xtreme Bulls Tour Championship in Indianapolis on Oct. 24, and the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship in Dallas on Nov. 7-9. Thanks to Hurricane Ike, the San Patricio Pro Rodeo in Sinton was added to the mix and has been rescheduled for Oct. 17-18.

Competitors who are on the bubble as they attempt to qualify for the NFR are looking at that time frame very closely, knowing that only the top 15 in each event advance to the Las Vegas championships.

Bareback rider Wes Stevenson, a former Texas Tech star who has residences in Kaufman and Lubbock, is one of those on the bubble. Stevenson is No. 15 in the world standings with $52,077, a mere $85 ahead of Tilden Hooper of Carthage with $51,982.

Then, there are competitors who have all but secured an NFR berth and are attempting to position themselves higher in the standings going into the 10-day NFR. Will Lowe of Canyon, who ranks second in bareback riding with $112,476 (in world standings released Monday) is in good shape, along with Jeff Chapman of Athens who ranks fifth in tie-down roping with $78,458.

If a competitor is ranked in the top 10 in an event at this point in the season, fans can pretty well count on watching him at the NFR.

All eyes on Omaha

The PRCA’s largest rodeo this weekend was in Omaha, Neb., where competitors rode for a $400,000 purse.

It’s the third of four shows on the PRCA’s Ariat Playoffs, a series of invitational rodeos featuring some of the top competitors from the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour.

The Omaha rodeo featured 12 competitors in each event, including barrel racer Cassie Moseley of Farwell, who is ranked 13th in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association standings with $59,384 and PRCA steer wrestler Cash Myers of Athens, who is ranked fifth in the steer wrestling world standings.

Ten competitors in each event after the Omaha show advance to the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Championship in Dallas. After the Dallas rodeo wraps up Nov. 9, the top 15 in each event will qualify for NFR.

PBR update

L.J. Jenkins of Texico, N.M., broke his right collarbone Sept. 19 at the Professional Bull Riders’ tour stop in Jacksonville, Fla. He will be out of competition until the World Finals scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 2 and Nov. 6-9 in Las Vegas. Jenkins is ranked sixth in the Built Ford Tough Series world standings. J.B. Mauney won the title in Jacksonville ($28,958) and the North Carolina cowboy has won the past two shows on the Ford Series. In the world title race, Guiherme Marchi entered this weekend's tour stop in Oakland, Calif, leading the world title race with 11745.5 points.

Dynamic duo

PRCA world all-around leader Trevor Brazile and his team roping partner Patrick Smith won titles at the AmarilloTri-State Fair and Rodeo and the Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo in El Paso. In Amarillo, the team roped two steers in 15.1 seconds, good for $3,929 each, and they also earned $4,448 in El Paso after recording a total two-head time of 9.0 seconds. In the world all-around standings, Brazile, who lives in Decatur, leads Josh Peek of Pueblo, Colo., by $69,394 ($215,968 to $146,574).

Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He can be reached at brett@myrodeoinsider.com.