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 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.[3] 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.[3] In 2006, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame inducted the PRCA into its hall of fame.[4]
Seven events and nine championships are sanctioned by the PRCA.
Bronc riding – 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 – also known as "bulldogging," is a rodeo event where the rider jumps off his horse onto a Corrientesteer 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 – is the only team event in professional 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 – 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.[5]
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 – 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 (WPRA). Results are shown on that website.[6]
Breakaway roping – 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. As of 2024, it is held in approximately 500 PRCA rodeos. Like barrel racing, breakaway roping is sanctioned by the WPRA and results are shown on its website.[7]
Note: Steer roping is publicized separately and its finals are held separately at the National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR).[9]
Tours and championships
Circuit System
There are 12 U.S. regional circuits in the PRCA; Montana, Mountain States, Wilderness, Columbia River, California, Turquoise, Texas, Prairie, Badlands, Great Lakes, Southeast, and First Frontier. 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.[10] The winner in each event at the NFR Open is the U.S. National 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. Each different circuit also competes at the NFR Open as a team and the best performing circuit wins the PRCA National Circuit Team Championship.
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 through 2010 in Pocatello, Idaho, before moving to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2011; Guthrie, Oklahoma, in 2014; and then to Kissimmee, Florida, in 2015. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCFR had to be moved to a different date and location. It was ultimately held in Greeley, Colorado, 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.[11][12][13] 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 Colorado Springs, Colorado.[14][15]
Since 2016, the PRCA has had a partnership with the Federación Mexicana de Rodeo (FMR) (Mexican Rodeo Federation). Rodeo contestants compete in a series of events co-sectioned by the PRCA and FMR called the PRCA-FMR Tour. It has a year-end finals event and the tour champions from the previous calendar year competed at the NCFR beginning in 2017. This lasted through 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the PRCA's partnership with the FMR to pause for three years. Since 2023, the PRCA-FMR Tour champions again compete at the NFR Open. The season champions of the Maple Leaf Circuit, which was forged between a partnership with the PRCA and Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA), first competed at the NCFR in 2020 and have consistently competed at the NFR Open ever since.
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 Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.[16] The finale was held for several years at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington. In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the finale was held in Rapid City, South Dakota.[17] In 2021, it moved to the California Rodeo Salinas in Salinas, California.[18] The finale returned to Puyallup in 2022.[19] Since 2023, it is separated into two halves in two different cities. The first half, simply titled the Cinch Playoffs, is held at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington, in early September. The second half, the Cinch Playoffs Governor's Cup, is held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in late September, and is the last regular season event of the PRCA calendar.[20] The Cinch Jeans company is the Playoffs' title sponsor.[21][22]
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.[23]
What started out as an unsanctioned, one-night-only, stand-alone bull riding event held in conjunction with Ellensburg, Washington's Ellensburg Rodeo in 2002,[26] became a full-fledged PRCA-sanctioned tour in 2003. Xtreme Bulls 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 or three 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 has Division 2 events where riders try to qualify to earn spots on the main Division 1 events. 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.
In 2003, the inaugural Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale was held in Kissimmee, Florida. In 2004, the tour finale was held in conjunction with the Ellensburg Rodeo. In 2005, it was held in Reno, Nevada. From 2006 through 2008, it was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. From 2009 through 2019, it was consistently held in conjunction with the Ellensburg Rodeo. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ellensburg Rodeo was canceled, and thus the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale had to be moved somewhere else. It was ultimately held in Nephi, Utah.[27] Since 2021, the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale has taken place in Pendleton, Oregon; held in conjunction with the Pendleton Round-Up.[28][29][30][31]
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, South Dakota, 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.[32]
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.[citation needed]
National Circuit Finals Steer Roping
The National Circuit Finals Steer Roping (NCFSR) has been held in Torrington, Wyoming, since its inaugural year in 2010. The top 35 steer ropers from the PRCA regional American circuits that include steer roping as an event compete at the annual two-day event for the chance of winning the U.S. National Steer Roping title.[33]
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.[34][35]
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 in Las Vegas, Nevada, just shortly before the start of the National Finals Rodeo. However, because of COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada, the 2020 edition of the event took place at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. The Permit Member of the Year Challenge returned to the South Point Hotel Arena 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.[36][37] 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.[citation needed]
The Permit Member of the Year Challenge in Las Vegas crowned the year-end Permit Members of the Year from 2009 through 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, in October as a three-day event. The six 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.[38][39] 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) 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, and the event would remain there through 1961. From 1962 to 1964, the NFR took place in Los Angeles, California. From 1965 to 1984, it took place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since 1985, the NFR has been held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada, the NFR was temporarily moved to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, 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 (10million 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.[40]
Since 2020, PRCA events have been televised live on The Cowboy Channel and streamed live on the paywall-subscription-based Cowboy Channel Plus+ app. Since March 2023, PRCA events not televised on The Cowboy Channel are televised on The Cowgirl Channel.[41]
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.[citation needed]
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.[42][43]
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, breakaway roping, and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: the timed events and rough stock events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as 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.
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 currently has over 3,000 members from all over the contiguous United States, Canada, and Australia.
The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier championship rodeo of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money winners in the season for each event.
Richard Neale "Tuff" Hedeman is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. He won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championship three times, as well as the 1995 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) world championship. He also won the 1993 world championship for the now-defunct Bull Riders Only (BRO) organization. He is also one of the co-founders of the PBR and is known for having been one of rodeo icon Lane Frost's closest friends. He and the infamous bucking bull, Bodacious, had a few historic clashes. He later served as the President of the PBR and then the President and Ambassador of Championship Bull Riding (CBR). In 2018, he formed his own bull riding organization: the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour (THBRT).
History of rodeo tracks the lineage of modern Western rodeo.
The All-Around is an award given to a rodeo competitor who is most successful in two or more events. Most individual rodeos and championships determine the winner of this award at the conclusion of the other events or championships.
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 through 2021, before being renamed as the NFR Open in 2022. Qualification for the event comes via winning the season title or winning the average title at the regional circuit finals rodeos in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping or bull riding. To qualify, a competitor must compete in one of the 12 PRCA U.S. regional circuits; Montana, Mountain States, Wilderness, Columbia River, California, Turquoise, Texas, Prairie, Badlands, Great Lakes, Southeast, and First Frontier.
Wesley Silcox is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Championship Bull Riding (CBR) circuits, and was the 2007 PRCA World Champion bull rider.
Daniel Earl Mortensen is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in saddle bronc riding. He competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and won seven world championships; six in saddle bronc riding and one all-around.
Shane Proctor is an American professional rodeo cowboy. He is the 2011 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world champion bull rider.
Kaycee Feild is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bareback bronc riding and competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He is a son of PRCA World Champion all-around cowboy Lewis Feild. He has won six bareback riding world championships; the most of any PRCA bareback riders. He won them from 2011 to 2014, and again from 2020 to 2021. He is the first cowboy to win three consecutive bareback riding average titles at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR).
The Elite Rodeo Athletes (ERA) was a professional rodeo organization founded in 2015. Its only season was in 2016, and it ceased operations the following year.
Phil Lyne is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who competed in the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA)/Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He was the RCA Rookie of the Year in 1969. Two seasons later at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), in 1971, he won the all-around cowboy world championship and the tie-down roping world championship. At the NFR in 1972, he repeated as the all-around world champion cowboy and added a second tie-down roping world championship. Lyne won his first and only steer roping world championship at the National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR) in 1990.
James William Harris, known as J.W. Harris is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He competed on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Championship Bull Riding (CBR), and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits. He won the PRCA bull riding world championship four times at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). Harris is the first bull rider since Don Gay to win four PRCA world bull riding titles. He is also the first since Gay to win three of them consecutively. Harris was also the 2014 PBR Rookie of the Year. In 2022, he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.
Guy Allen is an American ProRodeo Hall of Fame cowboy and an 18-time steer roping world champion. He competes in rodeos sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He won the world title for the steer roping event 18 times when competing at the National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR) and also won the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Average title five times. He had won the title 11 times in a row when Buster Record broke his streak. Allen is also inducted into eight rodeo halls of fame.
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) is the governing body of professional rodeo in Canada. Its championship event is the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) held every autumn.
Mary Burger is an American professional rodeo cowgirl who specializes in barrel racing. She has won two Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) barrel racing world championships in 2006 and 2016. Burger was 68 years old when she won the championship in 2016, setting a new record for oldest professional rodeo world champion in any rodeo event, male or female. She broke the existing record set by Ike Rude of 59 years old in steer roping set back in 1953. She also broke the record set by Mary Walker in 2012 at 53 years old. Also In 2016, she became the third WPRA barrel racer to wear the No. 1 back number at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). She set a new record for season earnings, and she set a new record by becoming the oldest WPRA qualifier to the NFR at 68 years old. Her horses, Mo and Fred, whom she used to win her titles with, she trained in barrel racing herself. In 2017, she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
Mary Walker is an American former professional rodeo cowgirl who specialized in barrel racing. She won the Women's Professional Rodeo Association barrel racing world championship in 2012. Despite several traumatic events in the two preceding years, she persevered. She also became the oldest woman, at 53, in rodeo to win a world championship in the barrel racing event at the National Finals Rodeo. She was later surpassed by Mary Burger in 2016 when Burger won at age 68. She lost her only child to a car accident in 2011. Two months later, Latte, her horse, fell on her during competition and severely injured her. It was about a year and a half after these incidents that she won her world title. Walker was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2013.
Sage Steele Kimzey is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. For most of his career, he competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), winning seven bull riding world championships. He also competed in the now-defunct Championship Bull Riding (CBR) organization, where he won three world championships. In 2023, he began riding for the Carolina Cowboys during the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series season. Since 2024, he competes full-time in the PBR. As of the 2025 PBR Team Series season, he will ride for the Austin Gamblers.
Jason "Boudreaux" Byron Campbell Jr. is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. He competes in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuits. He also competed in the now-defunct Championship Bull Riding (CBR) organization. In 2022 and 2023, he rode for the Carolina Cowboys during the PBR Team Series season. As of 2024, he rides for the Missouri Thunder.
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Stetson Wright, All-Around
