The Super Bowl of Rodeo

Hello Readers!

 

I hope you are having a fantastic day! I’m glad to see you back at my blog. Last week, I talked to you about all of the scored events in the sport of rodeo. This entry is going to be all about the controversy and the drama surrounding the potential relocation of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Professional contestants work the entire year to make it to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, WNFR for short. To compete in the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas is one of the greatest accomplishments a rodeo competitor can achieve. It’s every little cowboy and cowgirl’s dream, including my own. The rodeo runs for 10 days straight during the beginning of December with competitions every night. In order to qualify for the WNFR, competitors must be in the top 15 money earners for their event. The world champion of a particular event is determined by whoever earned the most money by the end of the 10 days. Average money is also factored into this ending balance. To win the average, which is usually a significantly large amount of money, contestants must have the fastest average time or highest average score over the duration of the WNFR.

Considering that the WNFR had been held in Las Vegas for 29 years straight (Katsilometes, 2013), it was a shock to hear that the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association decided to consider other venue options. The PRCA voted to decline the offer made by Las Vegas Events representatives to renew the contract to remain in the Nevada city. The Osceola County (Fla.) Commission had made a very appealing offer to the PRCA. In 2016, the WNFR would be held in a brand new facility with the ability to hold up to 24,000 people (Katsilometes, 2013).  The Osceola County Commission’s offer was also $4 million more than the Las Vegas Events’.

The committees reached a final decision by the end of January, 2014. The Las Vegas Board of Trustees and the PRCA announced that the WNFR will remain in Las Vegas until 2024 after a unanimous vote on the issue (“Las Vegas Events and PRCA Agree on Extension,” 2014). $10 million in contestant winnings along with $3 million guaranteed to the stock contractors is also a part of the deal between the two groups.   In 2013, Las Vegas received over $87 million in non-gaming revenue over the 10 days the WNFR was in town (“Las Vegas Events and PRCA Agree on Extension,” 2014).

Luckily, the “Super Bowl of Rodeo” will remain in Vegas for another decade. Tradition is a very important aspect of the rodeo culture and I believe that this decision is a great one. I can’t wait for the day I can make a trip to Vegas for the most exciting rodeo event in the world!

 

Emily Engelhard