Team roping heeler Levi Lord of Sturgis is one of two South Dakotans who will be part of the field this week during the Cinch Playoffs The Governor’s Cup, which takes place Friday-Sunday in Sioux Falls, S.D. He will be joined by barrel racer Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, who is hoping to qualify for her 20th straight National Finals Rodeo.
(PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)
The Governor’s Cup provides sanctuary for South Dakota stars
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In western South Dakota, the Plains offer respite from what many perceive as typical “city life.”
It’s open and inviting, and the expansiveness offers a variety of opportunities individuals to learn about themselves. Some are involved with agriculture. Some play sports. Only a few dozen or a few hundred attend from most rural high school, and that’s just fine for a bunch of them.
That’s where Levi Lord was raised. It was an instrument to help make him into the man he is today, one of ProRodeo’s elite team ropers who has already qualified for his sixth National Finals Rodeo in seven years.
“I am super proud of where I came from, and it’s still home now matter how long it’s been since I lived there,” said Lord, 30, a healer originally from Sturgis, South Dakota, but now living in Texas. “It’s a great place to be from.”
He’ll return to his roots at the Cinch Playoffs The Governor’s Cup, presented by Texas Precious Metals, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept 25-Saturday, Sept. 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Lord will be joined by his brother, Eli, who has qualified in steer wrestling, and two barrel racers, Lisa Lockhart, a 19-time NFR qualifier from Oelrichs, and Michelle Alley, originally from Tabor but now living in Madisonville, Texas.
Levi Lord and Lockhart earned automatic bids to The Governor’s Cup by finishing among the top four during the wildcard round of the Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup, Washington. Lord and his header, James Arviso, shared the final-round, while Lockhart snagged third place. The other eight in the field is determined by the top finishers in the Cinch Playoff Series, a 60-event tour featured at the largest rodeos in the sport.
Lockhart was raised near the tiny community of Circle, Montana, but she’s been part of South Dakota lore most of her career. She announced her presence in 2006 when she became one of the first Americans to win the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association title, joining Missouri-born tie-down roper Tyson Durfey. Lockhart has won three more Canadian titles.
She earned her first NFR bid in 2007, and there hasn’t been one without her since. No other member of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association has more qualifications, and Lockhart has won the coveted NFR average title three times, 2014, ’16, and ’23. Outside the world championship that has so far eluded her, winning in Las Vegas is the second-most prestigious crown in ProRodeo.
Though she was raised in northeastern Montana, her home is southwestern South Dakota. It’s where she and her husband, Grady, have raised their three children. It’s where she continues to be a dominant force in barrel racing. She’s galloping toward a 20th straight qualification to ProRodeo’s grandest stage, and she’d like good fortune in her home state to be a catalyst.
Levi Lord has already secured his bid for the 10 magical days during December in Las Vegas. He is among the top five in the world standings.
“I started the year with a different partner than I have now,” said Levi Lord, whose father, J.B., was a ProRodeo cowboy. “That kind of throws a curveball into things, but the thing has worked out pretty good. I roped with Tyler Tryan in the wintertime, and we did pretty dang good. We had some success, and then I ended up starting with James in the springtime, and it just came together for us.”
The Governor’s Cup is a major stepping stone toward a world championship. There is an opportunity for one contestant (or one team) in each event to win nearly $60,000 in three days. In a sport where dollars equal title points, every penny counts.
“The main goal is to get to the NFR first, then put yourself in a chance where you can win the world once you get there,” he said. “Anybody that’s entered at the NFR can win the world, because there’s so much money to be won there.”
Lockhart is close to clinching her place in Las Vegas, but she wants to grab some Sioux Falls cash in order to advance. Only the top 15 on the money list in each event advance to the NFR, and she is still in a bit of a scramble mode. As of Monday, she sat 10th in the world standings, but there are others hunting her down.
“While all the money at the end of the year is great for us, I’d rather not have to have it to make the finals,” said Levi Lord, who has been on the bubble before and had to chase every dollar possible in September just to qualify.
This year, though, his plan is to enjoy his Sioux Falls experience like he’s sitting down for some home cooking. He qualified for The Governor’s Cup in 2024 but missed out a year ago.
“I’ve only been once out of the first three years, and that stinks, but I’m excited to go back,” Levi Lord said. “It’s just kind of an NFR-like atmosphere. They’ve got a little arena in Sioux Falls, and the fans are right on top of you. The people in South Dakota know rodeo, so the fans know what’s going on.
“They know what’s on the line. There’s just so much pressure right there at the end for some guys, and all the money that’s up the last weekend of the (regular) season. “It’s just a great event there for the drama, for the money and for everything. It comes together super good.”