Utah’s Pioneer Week Top Hands Recognized at Utah State of Sport Banquet
SALT LAKE CITY (April 11, 2024) – Every July the State of Utah celebrates Pioneer Week the third week of July with the culmination of the celebration being July 24, marking the day when Brigham Young and a determined company of Mormon pioneers realized their dreams upon entering the Great Salt Valley. Rodeo has long played a part during this celebration with the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo, the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo and the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo all being contested during this time.
In 2023, these three PRCA rodeos joined together to offer nearly $2 million in payouts– all happening within a 5-day span and within a 100-miles of each other. In addition to these record payouts during Pioneer Week in Utah, there was an additional bonus of $15,000 for the top earning female and male athlete each across these three rodeos. This particular part of the program known as the Pioneer Week Top Hand Award was officially recognized and awarded during the annual Governor’s Utah State of Sport Banquet at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on April 10, 2024.
Winning the inaugural bonus was WPRA Barrel Racer Jordon Briggs, who won the silver medal at the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo and placed third at the other two rodeos, and PRCA Team Ropers Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp, who won Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo and Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo in 2023.
“Utah has always supported the Western lifestyle that harkens back to the pioneer heritage and history,” stated Tommy Joe Lucia, Executive Director of Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo. “We are honored to continue to keep this front and center in today’s society in collaboration with our fellow Pioneer Week rodeos. To be able to recognize these rodeo athletes alongside Olympic and professional athletes is a true honor.”
Created in 2012, the Governor’s State of Sport Awards celebrates Utah’s sports industry and honors excellence in high school, collegiate, adaptive, professional, Olympic and Paralympic sports. The Utah Sports Commission is the proud host of the Governor’s State of Sport Awards which has honored Utah’s finest athletes, teams, coaches, events, and numerous Utah sports icons.
Utah is known as the State of Sport — and for good reason! Through the years of appreciation for adventure, Utah has carved out a distinct reputation as the premier sport destination for Olympic, professional, amateur and action sporting events. By leveraging their world-class venues and awe-inspiring backdrops, Utah also has an established reputation as a top international sports destination.