1. History

2. Champions and awards

3. Circuits and championships
    ProRodeo Tour  All-American ProRodeo Series  Xtreme Bulls  Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo  Permit Holder Challenge  National Finals Rodeo 

4. Events

5. See also

6. References
    Additional sources 

7. External links

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest American rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions approximately 650 rodeos in 38 American states and three to four Canadian provinces, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National Finals Rodeo. The PRCA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.^[1]

History

The organization was created in 1936 when a group of cowboys walked out of a rodeo at Boston Garden 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. In 1945, the Turtles changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 1975, the organization became the PRCA.^[2] 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 and Museum of the American Cowboy.^[2] For a list of inductees, see the List of ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees.

Champions and awards

Circuits and championships

ProRodeo Tour

The ProRodeo Tour is considered the major league series of the PRCA. The top cowboys and cowgirls compete in 20 to 25 of the PRCA’s largest regular season rodeos where they try to earn points for the tour’s finals event, the ProRodeo Tour Finale, held every September in Puyallup, Washington. The competitor with the highest total points in each rodeo event is crowned the ProRodeo Tour Champion. While money won on the tour does count toward the world standings for the National Finals Rodeo, The ProRodeo Tour is points based. For example, If a rodeo in this tour awards twelve places, first place wins 120 points, and the rest are reduced by ten points each. Some of the ProRodeo Tour events, including the finale, are broadcast on CBS Sports Network. However, all of the tour stops are broadcast live on the subscription-based ProRodeoTV website.^[3]

All-American ProRodeo Series

The All-American ProRodeo Series is considered the minor league series of the PRCA. Professional, as well as semi-professional cowboys and cowgirls compete on this tour of smaller PRCA rodeos in the hopes of qualifying for the All-American ProRodeo Series Finale, held every October in Waco, Texas. The highest money earner in each of the rodeo events at the end of the series finale is crowned the All-American ProRodeo Series Champion. Money on this tour, like all the other PRCA tours and championship events, counts toward the world standings. The championship round of the All-American ProRodeo Series Finale is broadcast on CBS Sports Network.^[3]

Xtreme Bulls

Since 2003, the PRCA has sanctioned events that feature bull riding 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. The Xtreme Bulls Tour World Finale has been held in conjunction with the PRCA-sanctioned Ellensburg Rodeo for many years. 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. The Xtreme Bulls tour has Division 1 and Division 2 events. The Division 1 events, including the tour finale, are broadcast live on the Wrangler Network website.^[3]

Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo

A competitor must qualify in his or her regional circuit to move on to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR), held every spring from 1987 to 2010 in Pocatello, Idaho, before moving to Oklahoma City in 2011, Guthrie, Oklahoma in 2014 and then to Kissimmee, Florida in 2015. The top two contestants in each of the seven rodeo events from the 12 different PRCA regional circuits compete in the four-day championship event. Points are achieved for the top competitors in each of the circuit rodeo events held throughout the year. The winner in each event at the RNCFR is the national circuit finals champion for that event. In addition to the eight individual event winners, there is also an overall champion titled the All-Around Cowboy. All eight winners receive the National Circuit Championship gold belt-buckle. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is the title sponsor of the NCFR. The championship round of the RNCFR is broadcast on CBS Sports Network.^[3]

Permit Holder Challenge

The top five permit holders in each of the rodeo events at the end of the regular season compete at the PRCA Permit Holder Challenge. This one-day event is held every December at the South Point Hotel Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, just a few days before the National Finals Rodeo. 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 compete in two rounds each and the ones who have earned the most money throughout the year are each crowned the PRCA Permit Holder of the Year. The PRCA Permit Holder Challenge is broadcast live on the Wrangler Network website.^[3]

National Finals Rodeo

The top 15 money winners in each PRCA discipline (including the top 15 "headers" and "heelers" in team roping) at the end of the regular season earn a trip to the National Finals Rodeo, commonly called the National Finals or NFR. The NFR is held in Las Vegas, Nevada every December at the Thomas and Mack Center and airs live on CBS Sports Network. 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.^[3]

• In 2006 the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame^[4] inducted the PRCA into its hall of fame.

Events

7 events and 10 championships are sanctioned by the PRCA:^[5] Steer roping is publicized separately and its finals are held separately at the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping.^[6] Barrel racing is sanctioned by the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA).

• Bronc riding - there are two divisions in rodeo, 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 - 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 - also called "heading and heeling," is the only rodeo event where men and women riders compete together. Two people 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 - 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 clowns, 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.^[7]
• All-Around - The All-Around Cowboy is actually an award, not an event. It is awarded to the highest money winner in two or more events.
• Barrel Racing - 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 (WPRA). Results are shown on that web site.^[8]

See also

• List of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Champions
• List of Professional Bull Riders Champions
• List of ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees
• Bull Riding Hall of Fame
• Professional Bull Riders
• ProRodeo Hall of Fame
• American Bucking Bull
• International Professional Rodeo Association
• Championship Bull Riding
• Women's Professional Rodeo Association
• PRCA All-Around Cowboy Champion
• Bareback bronc riding
• Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame
• Canadian Professional Rodeo Association
• Federacion Mexicana de Rodeo
• Australian Professional Rodeo Association
• Barrel racing
• Calgary Stampede

References

Additional sources

• {{cite book|title=2018 PRCA Media Guide|date=2018|publisher=Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association|url=https://prorodeo.cld.bz/2018-PRCA-Media-Guide-Intro/16/|accessdate=March 22, 2019}}

External links

• Official Website

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