Las Vegas 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 vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico. Today, it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls.

American-style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding, and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: rough stock events and timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos. The “world’s first public cowboy contest” was held on July 4, 1883, in Pecos, Texas, between cattle driver Trav Windham and roper Morg Livingston.

American rodeo, particularly popular today throughout the western United States, and in the Canadian province of Alberta, is the official state sport of Wyoming, South Dakota, and Texas. The iconic silhouette image of a “Bucking Horse and Rider” is a federal and state-registered trademark of the State of Wyoming. The Legislative Assembly of Alberta has considered making the American rodeo the official sport of that province. However, enabling legislation has yet to be passed.

In the United States, professional rodeos are governed and sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), while other associations govern assorted children’s, high school, collegiate, and other amateur or semi-professional rodeos. Associations also exist for Native Americans and other minority groups. The traditional season for competitive rodeo runs from spring through fall, while the modern professional rodeo circuit runs longer, and concludes with the PRCA National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, Nevada, currently held every December. Wikipedia.

Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is an international professional bull-riding organization based in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. In the U.S., PBR events have been televised on CBS and CBS Sports Network since 2012.

In 2013, the PBR and CBS signed a contract that extended CBS Sport’s partnership with PBR, making them the primary sports broadcaster for PBR. In 2018, the PBR launched RidePass; its own subscription-based video-on-demand service that live-streams PBR events, as well as PBR-produced events for other western sports organizations.

On July 20, 2021, RidePass switched from a subscription-based streaming service to a free, ad-supported streaming channel on Pluto TV. Since 2022, PBR events have also been streamed on Paramount+. More than 500 cowboys from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and other countries hold PBR memberships. Wikipedia.

The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA’s top 15 money-winners in the season for each event.

The NFR is held each year in the first full week of December, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada, United States. (UNLV) and is aired live on The Cowboy Channel. Cowboy Christmas, a cowboy gift show, is held concurrent with the rodeo at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Since the rodeo uses ‘special dirt’, the dirt is stored on the UNLV campus for use in the next NFR. Wikipedia.

Buy Rodeo tickets online: PRCA Championship Rodeo, Professional Bull Riders (PBR), National Finals Rodeo (NFR)