DENVER, CO – The National Western Stock Show (NWSS) is the first stop of the year for rodeo’s biggest and best stars. This year, the NWSS Pro Rodeos will feature a new tournament-style format with more than half a million dollars up for grabs.
The top 80 athletes from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) in each event – bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie down roping, barrel racing and bull riding – will be competing for their share of the prize money and championship title.
Starting tonight with the Pink Pro Rodeo presented by Cigna, each athlete will compete twice from January 16th through the 24th. Then the top 24 contestants in each event will advance into the new tournament-style semi-finals. The semi-finals have three brackets taking place on Saturday, January 25th, where each athlete will begin with a clean slate of times / scores. The top four athletes in each event from the semi-finals brackets will then advance to the finals on Sunday, January 26th.
Both the semi-finals and finals will be televised live on Rural Media Group’s The Cowboy Channel.
“The PRCA is proud to partner with the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo as we launch a new era in professional rodeo,” said Steve Rempelos, Chief Marketing Officer at the PRCA. “Our new television agreement with The Cowboy Channel delivers broader awareness, increased prize money and expanded opportunities to our membership … and it all starts in Denver!”
In addition to a new, exciting final weekend, the NWSS continues to host special initiatives at its Pro Rodeos. Tonight, the Pink Pro Rodeo presented by Cigna raises breast cancer awareness for underserved Coloradans, and a portion of ticket proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society. Military Appreciation Night on January 21st honors our past and present armed forces members, while also featuring special ticket discounts to service men and women.
Tickets for all Pro Rodeo performances are on sale now at nationalwestern.com, the NWSS Box Office and all King Soopers locations.
