PRCA Cowboys - Bring on summer!

By Courtesy PRCA
Posted Monday, June 2, 2008

Lucrative part of season begins run to Ariat Playoff series, Wrangler NFR

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - While the rodeo season has been in full swing since January, a contestant's season will undoubtedly be made or broken during the summer portion of the schedule that features the Fourth of July and Northwest runs and the four-rodeo Playoff Series that close out the regular season.

Those who ultimately ride and rope at the 50th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Dec. 4-13 in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, will most likely reflect on the summer season as a major factor in reaching the world's premier rodeo.

The Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, starting June 20, is traditionally recognized as the start of the summer season and Fourth of July run, also known as “Cowboy Christmas.” Besides doling out more than $500,000 in prize money that has given the Reno Rodeo the moniker of "The Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West," the event also is the 15th stop on the 26-city Wrangler ProRodeo Tour. From there, the Tour hits eight other states and winds down at the Dodge City (Kan.) Roundup Rodeo, July 30-Aug. 3.

Cowboys aren’t just competing for lucrative purses at Wrangler ProRodeo Tour stops, but points that apply toward entry into the Ariat Playoffs series, an exciting four-rodeo showdown starting in Caldwell, Idaho. At the conclusion of the 26th Wrangler Tour rodeo, the top 35 contestants in total Tour points and the "Wild Card," event champions from the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo will move on to the first Tour Playoff event, Aug. 12-16 in Caldwell, Idaho. From there, the field will be trimmed to a single champion after the three subsequent playoff events in Puyallup, Wash.; Omaha, Neb.; and Dallas. Fox Sports Network and CBS are scheduled to televise the Ariat Playoffs events.

The summer season is much more than the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour and its subsequent Playoff series. Other lucrative events with big paydays are on the way in Pecos, Texas; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Cody, Wyo.; St. Paul, Ore.; Ellensburg, Wash.; and Pendleton, Ore., just to name a few.

Summer is here. Hold on.