By: Jolee Jordan
Rodeo athletes test their athletic ability and grit inside the arena during every competition, hoping to be successful and win prize money that eclipses the costs of entering and traveling to rodeos.
Landing on the profit side of the balance sheet is often a tough summit to climb but it’s gotten a little easier for some thanks to the Reliance Ranches VRQ Points Champion Bonuses, an investment of $405,000 by the World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) and partner Reliance.
And while competition is tough on the body and the mind, nominating toward a VRQ Points Champion Bonus is easy. With just a few taps on a phone, athletes can earn nominate their rodeo endeavors through the WCRA’s revolutionary Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) tool and become eligible for the bonuses.
Utah cowboy Josh Frost knows the value of the VRQ Points Championship better than anyone . . . he’s been the bull riding champion in each of the last two years.
“It’s huge for a rodeo athlete,” Frost says. “You nominate for events that you’re going to already and hopefully earn some extra entry fee money. It’s pretty cool to have the chance to win that extra money.”
Frost racks up the entries fees, competing in both the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and WCRA events. He’s proven his versatility inside the arena as the 2025 PRCA World Champion Bull Rider and a four-time Linderman Award winner, which he earned while also competing in the tie down roping, team roping and steer wrestling.
The top bonus in the Reliance Ranches VRQ Points Championship is $25,000 but money is paid down to fourth place, staggered at $10,000, $7,500 and $2,500.
Thanks to the two straight wins, Frost has banked a cool $50,000 in two years.
“I’ve bought more cows and more land,” Frost said.
Since Frost and wife Erika added to their growing family with the birth of daughter Mavie in August, the money has also no doubt helped buy diapers and toys.
Frost is strategic in his nominations, taking advantage of events with multiple go rounds, such as big ProRodeo events like San Antonio, Fort Worth and Cheyenne.
“I mostly nominate the ProRodeos and some PBR’s,” he said. “Those tournament style rodeos are great because you pay one nomination fee and you get points for each round.”
“So, it’s an easy way to rack up the points.”
Frost earned 11,672 points en route to his 2022 victory and 11,911.50 in 2023. Both years, he finished more than 3,000 points ahead of his closest competitor.
Because Frost underwent shoulder surgery right after claiming the 2025 PRCA World title in December and has been on the sidelines ever since, he won’t score the three-peat when the nomination period closes on April 6, 2025.
Introduced in 2022, the VRQ World Champions bonuses are given in each of nine disciplines, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, tie down roping, team roping (both heading and heeling), barrel racing and breakaway roping, and athletes must compete in at least one WCRA major event during the qualification period.
Points are tallied throughout the year regardless of which WCRA segment. The current period began September 11, 2023 and will end April 6, 2025. Athletes earn points for all nominations with bonus points available at WCRA events.
The 2024 Reliance Ranches VRQ Points Champions will be crowned at Rodeo Corpus Christi in May 2025.
For more information on the RRVRQ program and the WCRA, visit wcrarodeo.com.
