The Rodeo Round Up

Its all about the ride

Opening Acts for 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Announced

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Yes, my friends, it’s almost that time of the year. And this year looks to be one of the biggest and best ever.  Las Vegas is again, home to the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo!

LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas Events and Cowboy Revival announced today the list of Opening Acts for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo®. The annual showcase is scheduled for Dec. 1-10 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Each of the entertainers will perform prior to the rodeo competition getting underway and will include a variety of production elements, including pyrotechnics, lasers, an interactive stage, and full-arena LED and video board supporting graphics. All Opening Acts are presented by Cowboy Revival.

The full list of Opening Acts includes:

Thursday, Dec. 1 – Vegas Night
Friday, Dec. 2 – Luke Bryan (also performing at The Theatre at Resorts World on Dec. 2, 3, 7, 9 and 10)
Saturday, Dec. 3 – Lainey Wilson (also performing at Rodeo Vegas at The Mirage on Dec. 2)
Sunday, Dec. 4 – Adrian Brannan (Memorial Night)
Monday, Dec. 5 – Chancey Williams (also performing at the South Point Showroom on Dec. 1-3)
Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Ben Gallaher (also performing at Cowboy Revival at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Dec. 6)
Wednesday, Dec. 7 – Steve Amerson (Military Night)
Thursday, Dec. 8 – Joe Nichols (also performing at Cowboy Revival at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Dec. 9)
Friday, Dec. 9 – Heath Sanders (also performing at Cowboy Revival at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Dec. 10)
Saturday, Dec. 10 – Gold Night in Vegas

Known as the richest and most prestigious rodeo in the world, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding to compete for a share of the increased purse and the coveted PRCA Gold Buckle. In 2021, the event had a total attendance of 169,539 over the 10 days of competition at the Thomas & Mack Center and has sold out more than 340 consecutive performances in Las Vegas.

For more information on the Wrangler NFR, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest ProRodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit prorodeo.com or through social media @PRCA_ProRodeo.

About Las Vegas Events
Founded in 1983, Las Vegas Events is a private, not-for-profit organization funded by hotel room tax. Through its Signature Event initiative, LVE has created a model to integrate all elements of special events and formally improve communication between event producers and Las Vegas’ hotel properties and sponsors. Since 1991, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented or supported more than 800 events.
www.lasvegasevents.com
About the Wrangler NFR
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), considered the world’s premier rodeo, features 10 straight days of the best in PRCA PRORODEO competition, with a total of 120 contestants competing every night in seven events. Each December, the top 15 contestants, based on the PRCA | RAM World Standings, in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding qualify to compete at the Wrangler NFR.
www.prorodeo.com

Courtesy of NFRExperience.com

Dale Brisby at the NFR!

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Dale Brisby at the 2014 NFR

Round 8 of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) was about to start.  I was out front talking with some friends and guess who happens to wander by??  None other than the man himself, Dale Brisby.  Bull rider, bad ass dude and friend to almost all!!  Famous for being himself….

The best way to describe him is to look at his facebook profile: “Dale Brisby is a legendary, bull ridin, gypsy soul.. When he ain’t spurrin fat bramer necks for big money checks he’s fixin radiators, huntin, or gettin chased by women! There’s only one time that matters to Dale Brisby, Rodeo Time.. On to the next one ol son. Pow pow!”

If you were here, you could have met him too!

Exclusive insider info on the WNFR Fight … Texas Vs. Florida!

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All the talk and speculation surrounding the moving of the NFR controversy has a new player involved.  It was reported a couple days ago that the great state of Texas is involving themselves into the mix for potential host for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo starting in 2015.

There was a meeting held between the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association Commissioner Karl Stressman, the PRCA Board of Directors, the Governor of Texas Rick Perry, State House Representative Cecil Bell Jr. and WNFR bareback qualifier Clint Cannon.

I have sources that are very close to the negotiations that have been talking exclusively with me and have given me the rights to post quotes and real time updates about this issue coming from Texas.

PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman, Governor of Texas Rick Perry and State House Representative Cecil Bell Jr

PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman, Governor of Texas Rick Perry and State House Representative Cecil Bell Jr. at the state capital  Photo Credit: Chip Hunnicutt

Here is the statement I have received from one of my sources that is close to the negotiations and for now would like to be unnamed:

“We are part of group including trying to get the NFR to the state of Texas along with a unnamed Texas city. We are part of State group not the city, but we are  helping support the city the with their bid. This state group was formed by Clint Cannon, Kirby Cannon and Cecil Bell Jr., with the intention of finding a way to get the NFR here.  It now includes many more. Without getting numbers out, the bid is unbelievable. The Governers’ office puts events on par with Final Four, Formula One race in Austin, and the Super Bowl  and wants the NFR here. We don’t know what board will do but we hope they were impressed.”

Heath Ford

PRCA and Texas Bareback Rider Heath Ford sits down with Governor Rick Perry to talk about bringing the WNFR to Texas Photo Credit: Chip Hunnicutt

The Governor quotes, “lets bring the NFR home”, and those thoughts are represented throughout the entire state.  To me it sounds like Texas is pulling out all the stops to do anything it can to lure the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to cowboy country, the great state of Texas.  The next few months will be very interesting to see what the commissioner and the Board of Directors decides to do once all the options are out in the open and on the table.

cecil bell jr

Texas State Representative Cecil Bell Jr.

Current state negotiating  group member and TheRodeoRoundUp.com’s friend Texas State Representative Cecil Bell Jr. is very involved in everything happening there.  He is on the state group and is the one person that is tasked with coordinating with the city’s group.  So as you can see EVERYONE wants the WNFR in Texas and both city and state are working together to try to make this happen in 2015.  He took time out of his day to give TheRodeoRoundUp.com and exclusive statement and here it is:

“Texas is rodeo country. We’re home to the best location for contestants, stock producers and for fans. From our cities and card-carrying PRCA cowboys to our elected officials in Austin I can tell you we’re working hard to show the PRCA our commitment to bringing the NFR back home to Texas”.
State Rep Cecil Bell Jr.

The stories are continuing to unfold and before long we will all have the answers we are so patiently waiting for.  No matter what the PRCA decides to do we will have it covered right here for you on TheRodeoRoundUp.com!!

 

Anthony Lucia to talk to Jason Hetland

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Anthony Lucia

Very exciting news for the Rodeo Round Up … just got done speaking with PRCA trick roper and Worlds Toughest Rodeo announcer Anthony Lucia. You all may know his name by the new television show “Rodeo Girls” on A&E Network. I will be sitting down with him at the Worlds Toughest Rodeo in St. Paul MN at the end of January. We will talk exclusively about his WNFR experiences, the Worlds Toughest Rodeo and about his take on the new show that has drawn some controversy within the rodeo community. We will talk in depth about what he thinks about the show and what is expected to come in future episodes and possibly seasons! Check back in February for the exclusive sit down interview with Anthony!

The Brit Stokes Band rocks Vegas!

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While working at the 2013 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas I had the pleasure of meeting The Brit Stokes Band.  These guys are a Nashville based band with a southern rock sound.  Brit and the band played on the “Rodeo Live” stage at Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  Two nights after the WNFR  performance at the Thomas & Mack The Brit Stokes Band took the stage at The Mirage Hotel and Casino.  They played for three hours straight each night without taking a break to a huge crowd each night.

Rodeo Vegas hosted different bands at The Mirage each night after the performance which included Daryle Singletary, Easton Corbin and other national recording artists.  K.C. Jones and his wife did a wonderful job of lining up the entertainment for the ten days of the National Finals.

I had the honor of getting to go to Brit Stokes Bands’ shows each night and hang out in the VIP area enjoying their concert and their friends they brought with them as well.  It was a great opportunity to enjoy getting to know each of these guys on a personal level and being able to call them my friends during their stay.  I can’ t thank each and every one of them and their friends for inviting me into the close knit group and letting me get to know you better.

These guys rock the music and have fun doing it which is an important aspect of performing.  It shows that they like what they do while they are on stage and understand what it means to the fans to give them a great concert.  Please check them out on their website www.britstokesband.com to hear their music and order some merchandise to support this great group of folks.  If you are ever in the Nashville area make sure to look them up and take time to go see them live … I promise it will not be a waste of your time.

Update to the WNFR speculation

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As so many folks are talking about the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo moving from Las Vegas after the 2014 season I hope folks take time to fully understand what is happening and what is not.

Here is a link to one of the most unbiased articles that I have seen thus far and explains everything that has happened so far and what is still on the table.  This article has points of view from both sides of the table and explains everything as good as it can be up to this point.

I credit both sides for answering questions for the same article so people can see what is actually going on between the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Las Vegas Events.

Take time to read up on the situation before you cast judgement either way.  I understand that all of us will have our own opinions but we all need to be educated on what is actually happening before we cast our own judgements.

http://m.lvsun.com/blogs/kats-report/2013/dec/16/vegas-ready-sweep-out-wnfr-prca-says-hang-there-co/#.UrBmUYZ8Xx4.facebook

Feel free to follow up as I will post anything I might find useful in the future regarding this ongoing story line that is unfolding.

Is the WNFR actually moving???

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The pot is brewing after the 2013 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo ends in Las Vegas.  On Sunday the PRCA Board of Directors voted to look into the possibility of moving the National Finals Rodeo to Orlando, Florida starting in 2015.  This current “contract” is set to have the National Finals in Orlando through the year of 2025 which is a ten year initial contract.  What will this mean to the relationship between the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and Las Vegas Events that has lasted 29 years?  Now some say it is a good move and some are completely shocked by the announcement.

Now keep in mind that this is not a 100% done deal as of this story’s posting.  The board and the PRCA have 90 days to sign the contract into a binding agreement which also gives Las Vegas Events that time as well to come back and make a better offer than what is on the table currently.  I have a feeling that Las Vegas Events will not let the biggest event to their local economy move away that easy.  As far as folks know this is all due to a stall in negotiations between the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and Las Vegas Events.  The offer on the table that Las Vegas Events gave to the PRCA was felt to be a very low and slap in the face offer by the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association.  There are other offers out there that are up to $10 million more than what the new contract offer was to stay in Las Vegas but the board decided Sunday to move to Orlando who’s offer was close to $4 million more than the current offer on the table.  It will be interesting to see what this means to the contestants as well as the fans if the Wrangler National Finals actually does move to Orlando in 2015.

Now here is the kicker.. there are so many reports circulating around that the deal is finalized and will happen no matter what but that is not the case at all.  Below is a link to the local newspaper in Orlando that talks about what exactly happened earlier today.  Once you read it I hope it will put a new perspective on everything going on with the proposed move of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.  Check out this link to see what has happened with the county board and the PRCA Board of Directors so far.

http://www.ravallirepublic.com/sports/rodeo/article_3114ea26-464a-5562-98b1-66f85ee0f63e.html

As I said before everyone is jumping at the gun a little too early on this issue.  Believe me I was one of them as well when I first got the phone call from a colleague of mine that has been covering the WNFR in Las Vegas with me for years.  After I got back to my room tonight and did some research of my own I now believe I know a little more about the situation other than the hear say that is circulating around the media outlets currently.

Make sure to keep checking back throughout the next few weeks as i will post any new news and updates that I find to be factual as soon as I know something.  Remember folks it is still a long ways from being a done deal and I feel the PRCA Board of Directors is going to have some explaining to do to its members for cancelling out on Las Vegas before they have anything set in stone for sure.  For now only time will tell what this will do to the sport of Professional Rodeo and all those involved in it even if you are just a fan and attend the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

A few words of appreciation ….

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  The Rodeo Round Up had a great time covering the 2013 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.  I have made some great contacts that will allow me to continue my journey into the 2014 season.  I wish to thank each and every sponsor and supporter of this show that helped me make all things possible. First of all I would like to say a huge thank you to Rockin’ Rhinestones Tack for their financial support and consideration.  Anna Matson and her entire staff are nothing but top notch folks that do a fantastic job making any western lifestyle animal look great! Secondly, I would like to say a special thank you to Chris Rassmussen and the crew from Lost Spur Trailers in Fairbault, MN.  Without your contributions and willingness to help out where ever needed this entire season and trip to Las Vegas would never have been possible.  If you are in need of a trailer in the Midwest area make sure to check out my friends at Lost Spur Trailers and tell them I sent you!! Lastly, a huge shout out and thank you goes out to my personal friends Greg and Mattie Starbeck.  Without your help in all aspects of the show and your financial support and understanding there is no way possible I would have had as great of a year as I did in Vegas covering all the action for each and every one of you!  If you are interested in supporting and sponsoring a very talented female bull rider for the upcoming year please consider making Mattie Starbeck your choice. There are many opportunities to come on board and sponsor The Rodeo Round Up in the upcoming 2014 season.  We have many options available including set sponsorship prices as well as customized packages for certain events as well.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or if you are interested in coming on board as a intricate part of the Rodeo Round Up team!!

JW Harris Clinches His fourth

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They said JW Harris was too old to win another Bull Riding Champion.  On Friday night, he proved the nay-sayers wrong.  Riding Wild Card Rodeo’s Little Shyster for 87.5 points to win his fourth gold buckle and JW thinks he has another 10 more years worth of riding still in him.

Talking with Jason Hetland after the win, he also talks about the extra money he and the other bull riders pooled together to give to the bull fighters for all they do keeping them safe every night.

Vegas offer to Continue to Host WNFR on the Table

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Thomas and Mack Home to the WNFR

At today’s press conference PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman gushed about the new television deal that will bring the WNFR to CBS sports network starting in 2014. But turned stern faced when asked why they are still in negotiations with Las Vegas Events to keep the WNFR in Las Vegas beyond 2014.

Even after 18 months of negotiations, he dodged a direct answer as to why no contract for something that seems pretty obvious to anyone outside the board room of the PRCA. Vegas loves the rodeo and the rodeo fans and contestants love Las Vegas. Everyone is making money and happy.

That begs the question; Where else would you seriously go that could possible do the NFR better Las Vegas??

Read: Las Vegas Events has a contract waiting their approval