The lucrative week that is highlighted by Friday’s celebration of Independence Day and includes five events on the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour fires up June 30 with the first of eight performances at the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz.
Prescott gets a one-day head start on two other events that make up the 26-stop Wrangler ProRodeo Tour. On July 1, the Rodeo of the Ozarks in Springdale, Ark., makes its Tour debut, with longtime Tour entry the Cody (Wyo.) Stampede also getting under way.
Another rodeo makes its first appearance on the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour on July 2 when the 22nd Annual Fourth of July Youth Celebration kicks off in Window Rock, Ariz. In addition, the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo, one of the season’s most anticipated rodeos, also gets started on July 2.
With the start of the Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede on June 25 and the Greeley (Colo.) Independence Day Rodeo on June 27, the period known in rodeo as “Cowboy Christmas” is well under way. A year ago, the 32 PRCA-sanctioned rodeos held from July 2-8 paid out more than $2.5 million and the 30 on this year's schedule which will be completed during the week of June 30-July 6 is expected to offer something closer to $3 million.
That’s enough to get more than a few cowboys to drive a little bit longer – despite the specter of $5-a-gallon diesel – spend a little more and even use air travel to get to as many rodeos as possible. Their seasons may depend on it.
Greeley and the five Tour rodeos are far from the only ones cowboys don’t want to miss, including the Airdrie (Alberta) Rodeo, June 27-July 1; the Livingston (Mont.) Round-Up, July 2-4; the Mandan (N.D.) Rodeo Days, July 2-4; the Home of Champions (Red Lodge, Mont.), July 2-4; the Oakley (Utah) Independence Day Rodeo, July 2-5; and the Molalla (Ore.) Buckeroo, July 3-6.
While the Cody Stampede ends July 4, action will continue well into the next night with 40 of the world’s top bull riders on hand when the Dodge Xtreme Bulls Tour, presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, invades Stampede Park for the season’s seventh stop.
With the “handful” of Wrangler ProRodeo Tour events ending this weekend, only six remain on the schedule heading into next week. At the conclusion of the final Tour stop in Dodge City, Kan., on Aug. 5, the top 35 contestants (35 teams in team roping) in total Tour points and the “Wild Cards,” event champions from the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo, presented by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, will move on to the first Ariat Playoffs event, Aug. 12-16, in Caldwell, Idaho. Fox Sports Network and CBS are scheduled to televise the Playoffs.
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