GREAT FALLS — The 46th annual Montana Circuit Finals return to the Four Seasons Arena for three nights of professional rodeo starting Thursday and concluding Sunday with the championship round.
The PRCA circuit system gives athletes an opportunity to compete at a high level while staying closer to home. And the Montana finals are one of the biggest and highest paying circuit finals in the nation.
After 39 regular season rodeos during the summer months, the top 12 money earners in each event qualify for the circuit finals. The winner of the rodeo and the year end champion will qualify for the NFR Open in Colorado Springs in July.
According to Visit Great Falls, the circuit finals bring in close to 8,000-8,500 rodeo fans to the ExpoPark over the course of the weekend with approximately 20% coming from out of town. It leads to a huge boost in the local economy.
“We'll see anywhere from about 875,000 to about $1 million of economic impact across the board,” said Visit Great Falls director Rebecca Engum. “From the sponsors that are in town, the people going out to eat and staying in hotels and the fuel and the groceries and the recreational shopping, it's just a fantastic weekend here in Great Falls.”
The event runs from January 9th through January 11th. Click here to visit the website.
