COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- State high school rodeo champions in Colorado and Wyoming will receive their PRCA permits without charge as part of a new program from the Mountain States Circuit to strengthen ProRodeo's contestant base.
For this first effort, the year-end champion and the state finals average winner in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding -- a total of six in each state -- will have their $300 PRCA permit underwritten by participating rodeo committees within the region.
In the event that the contestant is too young to receive their PRCA permit, the money will be placed in an account until they reach the minimum age of 18. If the same competitor is both year-end champion and state finals average winner, one of the permits goes to the competitor in second place.
"The plan is to cover the state champions in all of the events next year," said Scott Wahlert, the Mountain States Circuit President, "We started with the roughstock events because it's in those events where we have seen our contestant numbers go down a little bit in recent years."
Details of the initiative were introduced to officials of the other 11 PRCA regional circuits during the group's monthly conference call on June 6 with the idea of taking the program national within the next year. Wahlert has agreed to supply information and strategies to all interested parties.
The rodeo committees in Eagle, Elizabeth and Denver are funding the Colorado permits this year and Laramie stock contractor Hal Burns has enlisted the rodeo committees at Afton, Kaycee and Thermopolis to do the same in Wyoming.
"First and foremost we want to make sure that the Western way of life continues," Wahlert said, "that we do what we can to allow young people to be involved in ProRodeo any way we can."
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