The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...

organization in the world. It sanctions events in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The PRCA is headquartered in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

.''2018 PRCA Media Guide" "Introduction'', ''About the PRCA'', p. 6.

History

The organization was created in 1936 when a group of cowboys walked out of a rodeo at

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (la ...

to protest the actions of rodeo promoter W.T. Johnson, who refused to add the cowboys' entry fees to the rodeo's total purse. Johnson finally gave in to the cowboys' demands, and the successful "strike" led to the formation of the Cowboys' Turtle Association. That name was chosen because, while they were slow to organize, when required they were unafraid to stick out their necks to get what they wanted, like turtles might do. Among the organizers was a woman, a four-time national bronc champion,

Alice Greenough Orr Alice Greenough Orr (March 17, 1902 – August 20, 1995), was an internationally known rodeo performer and rodeo organizer who was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Montana Cowboy Hall of ...

. In 1945, the Turtles changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 1975, the organization became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The PRCA staff consists of about 70 full-time employees, but grows to nearly 100 during the peak rodeo season. The PRCA headquarters, established in 1979 in Colorado Springs, also houses the

ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, pr ...

and Museum of the American Cowboy. In 2006, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame inducted the PRCA into its hall of fame. *For a list of inductees, see the List of ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees.

Events

7 events and 9 championships are sanctioned by the PRCA. *

Bronc riding Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse (sometimes called a ''bronc'' or '' bronco'') that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally ...

– there are two divisions in the PRCA, Bareback bronc riding, where the rider is only allowed to hang onto a bucking horse with a type of surcingle called a "rigging"; and Saddle bronc riding, where the rider uses a specialized western saddle without a horn (for safety) and hangs onto a heavy lead rope, called a bronc rein, which is attached to a halter on the horse. * Tie-down roping – also called calf roping, is based on ranch work in which calves are roped for branding, medical treatment, or other purposes. It is the oldest of rodeo's timed events. The cowboy ropes a running calf around the neck with a lariat, and his horse stops and sets back on the rope while the cowboy dismounts, runs to the calf, throws it to the ground and ties three feet together. (If the calf falls when roped, the cowboy must lose time waiting for the calf to get back to its feet so that the cowboy can do the work.) The job of the horse is to hold the calf steady on the rope. A well-trained calf-roping horse will slowly back up while the cowboy ties the calf, to help keep the lariat snug. *

Steer wrestling Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event in which a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer, then wrestles the steer to the ground by grabbing its horns and pulling it off-balance so that it falls ...

– also known as "bulldogging," is a rodeo event where the rider jumps off his horse onto a Corriente steer and 'wrestles' it to the ground by grabbing it by the horns. This is probably the single most physically dangerous event in rodeo for the cowboy, who runs a high risk of jumping off a running horse head first and missing the steer, or of having the thrown steer land on top of him, sometimes horns first. *

Team roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a steer (typically a Corriente) and two mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around ...

– is the only team event in rodeo. Two ropers capture and restrain a full-grown steer. One horse and rider, the "header," lassos a running steer's horns, while the other horse and rider, the "heeler," lassos the steer's two hind legs. Once the animal is captured, the riders face each other and lightly pull the steer between them, so that both ropes are taut. This technique originated from methods of capture and restraint for treatment used on a ranch. *

Bull riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To recei ...

– an event where the cowboys ride full-grown bulls instead of horses. Although skills and equipment similar to those needed for bareback bronc riding are required, the event differs considerably from horse riding competition due to the danger involved. Because bulls are unpredictable and may attack a fallen rider,

rodeo clown A rodeo clown, bullfighter (in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) or rodeo protection athlete, is a rodeo performer who works in bull riding competitions. Originally, the rodeo clown was a single job combining "bullfightin ...

s, now known as "bullfighters", work during bull-riding competition to distract the bulls and help prevent injury to competitors. * Steer roping – is based on tie-down roping. Instead of a calf, the cowboy must catch and tie down a large steer (approximately 450 to 600 pounds). Unlike tie-down roping, the cowboy must first rope the steer around its horns. The steer's horns are wrapped and then reinforced with rebar. The cowboy must then toss the rope over the steer's right hip. Then he rides leftward which brings the steer down to the ground. Once the steer is on his side and the rope is tight, then he can dismount. He will run to the steer in order to tie any three legs together. As in tie-down roping, the tie must hold for six seconds. * All-Around – the All-Around is actually an award, not an event. It is awarded to the highest money winner in two or more events. *

Barrel racing Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur and ...

– is a timed speed and agility event. In barrel racing, horse and rider gallop around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels, making agile turns without knocking the barrels over. In professional, collegiate and high school rodeo, barrel racing is an exclusively women's sport, though men and boys occasionally compete at local O-Mok-See competition. Barrel racing takes place with other PRCA sanctioned events, but it is sanctioned by the

Women’s Professional Rodeo Association The Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) is one of the largest rodeo sanctioning bodies in the world and is open exclusively to women eighteen years of age and older. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Association curren ...

(WPRA). Results are shown on that website. *

Breakaway roping Breakaway roping is a variation of calf roping where a calf is roped, but not thrown and tied. It is a rodeo event that features a calf and one mounted rider. The calves are moved one at a time through narrow runs leading to a chute with spring ...

– is a variation of calf roping where a calf is roped, but not thrown and tied. The roper attempts to throw a lasso around the neck of the calf. Once the rope is around the calf's neck, the roper signals the horse to stop suddenly. The rope is tied to the saddle horn with a string. When the calf hits the end of the rope, the rope is pulled tight and the string breaks. The breaking of the string marks the end of the run. In professional and collegiate rodeo, breakaway roping is exclusively a women's sport. Breakaway roping started becoming a regular event at some PRCA rodeos in 2019, making it along with barrel racing the two female events. Like barrel racing, breakaway roping is sanctioned by the WPRA and results are shown on its website. Events source Note: Steer roping is publicized separately and its finals are held separately at the National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR).

Tours and championships

Circuit System

There are 13 regional circuits in the PRCA; 12 of them American: Montana, Mountain States, Wilderness, Columbia River, California, Turquoise, Texas, Prairie, Badlands, Great Lakes, Southeast, and First Frontier, as well as Canada's Maple Leaf Circuit. Contestants compete in their respective regional circuits and the top ones qualify for each region’s circuit finals rodeos. Points are achieved for the top competitors in each of the circuit rodeo events held throughout the year. At the conclusion of each circuit finals rodeo, the season champion, as well as the circuit finals average champion qualify for the main championship event of the circuit system, the

NFR Open The NFR Open is an annual championship rodeo event of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) held annually in the United States. The event was previously known as the National Circuit Finals Rodeo (NCFR) from 1987 to 2021, before bein ...

. The winner in each event at the NFR Open is the National Circuit Champion for their respective event. In addition to the nine individual event winners, including heading and heeling team ropers, there is also the all-around cowboy champion, who wins the most money in two or more events. All ten winners receive the National Circuit championship belt-buckle. The main championship event for the circuit system was previously known as the National Circuit Finals Rodeo (NCFR). The NCFR was held every spring from 1987 to 2010 in

Pocatello, Idaho Pocatello () is the county seat of and largest city in Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the ...

, before moving to

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

in 2011,

Guthrie, Oklahoma Guthrie is a city and county seat in Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 10,191 at the 2010 census, a 2.7 percent increase from the figure of 9,925 in the 2000 census. First k ...

in 2014, and then to Kissimmee, Florida in 2015. In 2020, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the NCFR had to be moved to a different date and location. It was ultimately held in

Greeley, Colorado Greeley is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,795 at the 2020 United States Census, an increase of 17.12% since the 201 ...

in September. The event itself was closed to the public and the seats were filled with socially distanced cardboard cutouts of people. In 2021, The NCFR returned to Kissimmee, Florida and took place during its normal run in the springtime, but consisted of a limited and socially distanced crowd due to the continuity of the pandemic. In 2022, the National Circuit Finals Rodeo was renamed as the NFR Open and now takes place every July at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in

Playoff Series

The top cowboys and cowgirls compete in the PRCA’s 60 largest regular season rodeos where they try to earn points towards the tour finale in September, the Cinch Playoffs. It was held for several years at the

Washington State Fair The Washington State Fair, formerly the Puyallup Fair, is the largest single attraction held annually in the U.S. state of Washington. It continually ranks in the top ten largest fairs in the United States and includes agricultural and pastor ...

Puyallup, Washington Puyallup ( or ) is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Tacoma and 35 miles (56 km) south of Seattle. It had a population of 42,973 at the 2020 census. The city's name comes from th ...

. In 2020, as a result of the

, the finale was held in

Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western S ...

. In 2021, it moved to the

California Rodeo Salinas Salinas is a major stop on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit. The Salinas rodeo (pronounced the Spanish way: "roDAYo") began in 1911 as a Wild West Show on the site of the old race track ground, now the Salinas Sports ...

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area l ...

. The finale returned to Puyallup in 2022. It will relocate to

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...

in 2023. The Cinch Jeans company is the event’s title sponsor. The tour was previously known as the ProRodeo Tour before changing to the Playoff Series in 2022. While money won on the tour does count toward the world standings for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), The Playoff Series is points based. The competitor with the highest total points in each rodeo event at the end of the season is crowned the Playoff Series Champion.

World's Toughest Rodeo

This tour consists of PRCA bareback bronc riders, saddle bronc riders, and bull riders, as well as barrel racers from the WPRA competing in select

midwestern The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. ...

and

southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

cities of the United States as annual events. Money won at each tour stop counts towards the PRCA world standings.

Xtreme Bulls

Since 2003, the PRCA has sanctioned events that feature

bull riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To recei ...

alone called the Xtreme Bulls tour. These events are held in conjunction with less than a handful of the PRCA's several hundreds of annual rodeos. Forty PRCA bull riders compete in a select rodeo arena in a one-two-day competition, and the top 12 riders based on scores come back to the championship round. The rider with the most points on two bulls wins the event. The PRCA crowns an Xtreme Bulls tour champion every year. This is the rider who wins the most money on tour. Bull riders must compete in at least forty complete PRCA rodeos if they want the money won on the Xtreme Bulls tour to count in the world standings towards the National Finals Rodeo. Since its first year, The Xtreme Bulls tour has had Division 2 events where riders try to qualify to earn spots on the main Division 1 events. In 2003, the inaugural Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale was held in Kissimmee, Florida. In 2004, the tour finale was held in conjunction with the PRCA-sanctioned Ellensburg Rodeo in Ellensburg, Washington. In 2005, it was held in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is th ...

. From 2006 to 2008, it was held in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

. From 2009 to 2019, it was consistently held in conjunction with the Ellensburg Rodeo. In 2020, because of the

, the Ellensburg Rodeo was cancelled, and thus the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale had to be moved somewhere else. It was ultimately held in Nephi, Utah. Since 2021, the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale has taken place in

Pendleton, Oregon Pendleton is a city and the county seat of Umatilla County, Oregon. The population was 17,107 at the time of the 2020 census, which includes approximately 1,600 people who are incarcerated at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Pendleton ...

; held in conjunction with the PRCA-sanctioned Pendleton Round-Up.

Xtreme Broncs

First approved by the PRCA in 2016, this tour features only saddle bronc riding competition. Like the Xtreme Bulls tour, these events are held in conjunction with a very small amount of the PRCA's several hundreds of annual regular season rodeos. At the Xtreme Broncs Tour Finale, held every August since 2019 in

Rapid City Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

, the top 12 saddle bronc riders in the PRCA world standings, plus the top 12 saddle bronc riders in the Xtreme Broncs tour standings not already in the top 12 PRCA world standings compete at the event. Money won on the Xtreme Broncs tour counts towards the PRCA world standings for the National Finals Rodeo.

Legacy Steer Roping

Since 2019, the PRCA has sanctioned steer roping events for contestants aged 50 and over called the Legacy Steer Roping tour. Ropers must compete in at least four Legacy Steer Roping events and have won at least one dollar in each event in order to qualify for the Legacy Steer Roping Finals held in November in Mulvane, Kansas for the chance of being crowned the tour champion.

National Circuit Finals Steer Roping

The National Circuit Finals Steer Roping (NCFSR), takes place in

Torrington, Wyoming Torrington is a city in, and the county seat of, Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,501 at the 2010 census. It is the home of Eastern Wyoming College, and is the surrounding region's center of commercial activity. Wit ...

. The top 35 steer ropers from the 12 PRCA regional American circuits compete at the annual two-day event for the chance of winning the National Circuit Steer Roping title. The inaugural NCFSR was in 2010.

National Finals Steer Roping

At the end of the regular season, the top 15 steer ropers in the PRCA world standings compete at the National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR). This annual event held every November in Mulvane, Kansas, is separate from the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and different from the National Circuit Finals Steer Roping (NCFSR). After two days of competition, the contestant who has won the most money throughout the season, including at the NFSR is crowned the PRCA world champion steer roper. Since 2019, the Legacy Steer Roping Finals have been held in conjunction with the NFSR.

Permit Finals

The PRCA held the Permit Member of the Year Challenge in which the top five permit holders in each of the standard male rodeo events at the end of the regular season competed for the chance of being crowned the Permit Member of the Year in their respective events. This one-day event was held every December at the South Point Hotel Arena & Equestrian Center in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, just shortly before the start of the National Finals Rodeo. However, because of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

restrictions in Nevada, the 2020 edition of the event took place at the Cowtown Coliseum in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...

. The Permit Member of the Year Challenge returned to the South Point Hotel Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas in 2021. First time PRCA members compete on a permit, and must win a certain amount of money before they earn their full-time PRCA membership card. The top five money-earning permit holders competed in two rounds each and the ones who had earned the most money throughout the year were each crowned the Permit Member of the Year. The Permit Member of the Year Challenge had been held since 2009, although in its first five years, only the roughstock events (bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding) were featured. The timed events (steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping) were added in 2014. The Permit Member of the Year Challenge in Las Vegas crowned the year-end Permit Members of the Year from 2009 to 2021. However, in 2022, the permit championship event was changed. Since that year, the Permit Finals has been held at the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo in

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the s ...

in October as a three-day event. The seven primary PRCA male events (bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, and bull riding), as well as the two female WPRA events included at PRCA rodeos (breakaway roping and barrel racing) are featured, and the top ten permit holders in each event compete throughout the Permit Finals for the chance of winning the Permit Member of the Year title in each respective event. The Permit Member of the Year Challenge in Las Vegas continues to take place before the start of the National Finals Rodeo. However, it now features the top five permit holders in each rodeo event at the conclusion of the Permit Finals and is held as a regular-season event.

National Finals Rodeo

The top 15 money winners in each PRCA discipline (including the top 15 "headers" and "heelers" in

team roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a steer (typically a Corriente) and two mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around ...

) at the end of the regular season earn a trip to the National Finals Rodeo every December. The event is commonly called the National Finals or NFR. The inaugural National Finals Rodeo in 1959 took place in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, and the event would remain there through 1961. From 1962 to 1964, the NFR took place in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. From 1965 to 1984, it took place in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

. Since 1985, the NFR has been held at the

Thomas & Mack Center The Thomas & Mack Center is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. It is home of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team of the Mountain West Conference. History The facility was ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. However, in 2020 due to

restrictions in Nevada, the NFR was temporarily moved to

Globe Life Field Globe Life Field is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. It is located just south of Choctaw Stadium, the Rangers' former home ballpark. History Background On M ...

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region ...

with a limited and socially distanced crowd for each day of competition. The NFR returned to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in 2021. Rodeo action is held over 10 consecutive days at the National Finals, with the top money winner for the year crowned the year's PRCA World Champion in each discipline at the end of the NFR. Because of the large amount of money (10 million dollars) at stake in the NFR, the leaders in each event going into the NFR are often dethroned for the year's championship at that event.

Television and streaming

Throughout its history, PRCA events were televised on channels such as ABC,

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

, TNN, the

Outdoor Life Network OLN (formerly Outdoor Life Network) is a Canadian English-language Category A specialty channel. OLN primarily broadcasts factual-based and adventure-related reality programming aimed at male audiences. OLN is wholly owned by Rogers Sports & Me ...

, the

Outdoor Channel Outdoor Channel is an American pay television channel focused on the outdoors, offering programming that includes hunting, fishing, Western lifestyle, off-road motorsports and adventure. The network can be viewed on multiple platforms including ...

Fox Sports Networks Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by The Walt Disney Company on Ma ...

Great American Country Great American Family is an American cable television network. Owned by Great American Media, it broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies. It was originally established in ...

, MAVTV and

CBS Sports Network CBS Sports Network (a.k.a. CBSSN) is an American pay television network owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. When it launched in 2002 as the National College Sports Network (later College Sports Television also known ...

. Since 2020, PRCA events have been televised live on The Cowboy Channel and streamed live on the subscription-based The Cowboy Channel Plus application.

Champions and hall of fame

The National Finals Rodeo and the National Finals Steer Roping award their champions and awards yearly at the end of the year and those awards are tracked in a separate article. The PRCA's board runs the Hall of Fame. More than 100 people and livestock are nominated each year, but only a few are selected.

Miss Rodeo America

The Miss Rodeo America pageant is held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, every December. Miss Rodeo America is the official spokesperson for the PRCA. It is held alongside the National Finals Rodeo.

References

Additional sources

External links

Official Website
{{Rodeo Rodeo organizations Organizations based in Colorado Springs, Colorado Sports in Colorado Springs, Colorado Rodeo competition series Rodeo in the United States Sports in Las Vegas Organizations established in 1936

Rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...