George Paul Memorial Bull Riding Offers Record $45,000 Purse in 2026

The 48th George Paul Memorial X-treme Bull Riding will pay out $45,000 in prize money across two nights this month at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds, the richest purse in an event that has drawn professional riders to Del Rio every spring since 1978.

The roughly 21% increase over last year sharpens what organizers describe as the core competition: the caliber of riders and bulls willing to make the trip to Val Verde County. At the 47th annual event last spring, winner Tristen Hutchings of Monteview, Idaho, took home $16,789 after being the lone competitor to cover both bulls he drew over the two-night run. With the expanded purse in 2026, the potential winner's share climbs proportionally, and that arithmetic matters to PRCA riders calculating which spring stops are worth the road miles.

Nick Khoury of the Khoury Group was credited with helping secure the additional money through his company's ongoing title sponsorship. RAM Country has backed the George Paul for 29 consecutive years, and Khoury was direct about what the investment is designed to protect. "We are always excited to be a part of this great event," he said. "We have been a title sponsor of the George Paul for 29 years, and we always look forward to it. RAM Country is all in to help keep this event at the top of the contestants' schedule."

Prize money is not the only hardware on the line. The event winner receives the George Paul championship buckle, the signature award at the center of this memorial since Bobby Paul founded it in 1978 to honor his brother George, the 1968 RCA World Champion bull rider. The rider who posts the highest-marked single ride of the weekend will earn a custom rifle donated by Cactus Weapon Systems. PRCA X-treme Bull Riding title sponsor Rank 45® will separately award the owner of the weekend's highest-marked bull.

Both nights begin at 8 p.m. on April 24 and 25 at the fairgrounds on N. Main Street. Reserved seating tickets are handled locally, not through third-party platforms, so anyone planning to attend should contact the Val Verde County Fairgrounds directly to confirm seating before the opener.

For Del Rio hotels, restaurants, and spring vendors, a stronger field means a larger regional draw on a weekend the city has built a tradition around. An event widely credited as the first standalone bull-riding contest in professional rodeo history is entering its 48th year with the biggest financial stakes it has ever offered.