2018 PRCA Media Guide Intro

PRCA Tours, Series and Championships

Cowboys decide which tours and series they want to participate in, then plan their rodeo entries and travel routes accordingly. Earnings at nearly all PRCA rodeos count toward the PRCA World Standings, within certain limits per event, and the 15 top-earning PRCA cowboys in each event compete at the ultimate championship, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The NFR, the sport’s richest and most prestigious rodeo, showcases the world’s best contestants and stock. The 10-day championship, held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas every December, has enjoyed sold-out attendance for 30 years, and is televised live on CBS Sports Network and streamed live on ProRodeoTV (outside of the U.S.). In 2017, 168,952 fans cheered 120 of rodeo’s superstars at the 59th “Super Bowl of rodeo,” in which $10 million was paid to

contestants who won or placed in rounds or in the average – $10,000 each just for earning their way to Vegas. Cowboys earn their slots at the NFR based on their season earnings at most PRCA rodeos; the Top 15 earners in each event qualify for Las Vegas. Cowboys can count only a limited number of rodeos toward their NFR-qualifying earnings (bareback riding, 100; steer wrestling, 100; team roping, 75; saddle bronc riding, 100; tie-down roping, 100; bull riding, no limit), so experienced rodeo cowboys plan their competition seasons to maximize potential winnings and minimize travel expenses. Read more in the NFR chapter.

The Wrangler ProRodeo Tour. The new tour has 22 rodeos lined up for 2018 and is a points-based system for contestants who place in all go-rounds (including the long rounds, average and finals). Points will be distributed according to payoff placing. For example, if a round pays 12 places, then

first place will receive 120 points, with each subsequent placing reducing in point value by an increment of 10. Contestants will be ranked in the standings from highest accumulated points to least accumulated points. If there aren’t enough qualifiers, the remaining Tour points will not be awarded, except for bull riding, where the remaining points will be divided equally among the qualifiers. If there are no qualifiers, then no tour points will be awarded for that go/final/ average.

The Wrangler Tour Justin Finale. The 2018 Justin Finale will occur Sept. 6-9 in Puyallup, Wash. The Top 24 contestants (in each event) in the Tour Standings will qualify for competition; all fill positions will be taken from the next-highest individual in the standings. The Finale format will be a two go-round, back-to-back rodeo with a finals performance consisting of an eight-round and four-round. The winner in each event of the Finale will be considered the 2018 Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Champion.

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INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION