THE FINALS
A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE FIRST 50 YEARS
OF THE WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO
1959 – 2008
By Gail Woerner
If you have not ordered or bought THE FINALS, A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF THE WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO book from PRCA you are missing a good read and a wealth of information. Although ten years ago the PRCA published a book on The Finals this new 256 page, 11” x 14” book has additional and improved the information and added another ten years of statistics and rodeo information including the 50th Anniversary of the National Finals.
Each year a designated cowboy, and Charmayne James for 1993, wrote their impressions and remembrances of the year they were asked to write about. Jim Shoulders wrote about the first year, 1959, and Stran Smith wrote about 2008. Harry Vold, who has been a stock contractor at all fifty NFRs wrote the Introduction. In his intro Vold tells it truthfully and in pure Vold fashion. It didn’t start out as a sellout and was touch and go, from the first Finals in Dallas, on to Los Angeles, then to Oklahoma City and now being held in Las Vegas. He admits the NFR has been one of the forces that has held the organization together through all the rough times. He also compliments the only other stock contractor that has had stock at all 50 National Finals, Colonel Bob Barnes, his good friend. Jim Shoulder’s memories of the beginning of the National Finals gives Casey Tibbs credit for the idea, but admitted it was a ‘tough sell’ to some of the cowboys on the Board of the RCA. He also recalls how close he and Bob Wegner were in total dollars and exactly how it played out. Fifty years later Stran Smith tells how it took twenty years of try, losing a close friend, a serious medical problem, and a lot of heart to win the Tie Down World Championship in 2008 and why it was his destiny.
The book is just chocked full of information, from statistics to funny things that happened along the way. The NFR fastest times and highest scores in each event and by who along with the NFR Top Stock, and the PRCA Stock of the Year, plus the names of the year’s Average Champions, and the World Champions are listed for each year as well as the location of each year’s event, the attendance, how many performances and total prize money and the Steer Roping location and prize money. Also the Miss Rodeo America candidate is featured, along with the names of the NFR Personnel and any NFR records that were set.
One page for each year is set aside and each event is listed, by round. You can go to that list and see who did what in each round, and what head of stock they drew, and their final results and in the timed events their times as well. You can also see how many rounds they won or placed in and how they finished in the Average and World Earnings and World Standings.
Photographs galore are featured throughout this book and the last pages include names of the stock contractors, by year, and by event, so you can see how many head of stock each contractor sent to each NFR in which events.
The price of this important historical book is $50.00 and shipping is $10 for soft cover; or hardcover at $150, plus $12. Either call 719-528-4772 or email: Prorodeo.com and hit the Merchandise tab to order.
This book is a mecca of information for people such as myself and anyone interested in historic rodeo information. My copy of the first THE FINALS, A COMPLETE HISTORY OF 40 YEARS OF THE NATIONAL FINALS, which I purchased ten years ago is ragged and worn, and barely holding together, from use and more use. I know my copy of the new improved THE FINALS, A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF THE WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO, will suffer the same consequences. The National Finals is the best of the best in rodeo. The cowboys and cowgirls who earn the honors of competing are the cream of the crop. The timers, secretaries, announcers, rodeo clowns and bullfighters and barrelmen, arena managers, chute bosses, and everyone who works on the Finals are the best of their profession during that era. Putting this book together has been a major effort and Kendra Santos, Director of Communications and Managing Editor; Jim Bainbridge, Editor; and Anne Christensen, Project Manager, and their entire staff is to be commended on their efforts.
