COLLEGE RODEO ALUMNI SET ANNUAL REUNION

By Sharon Adams, NIRAA
Posted Monday, April 27, 2009

The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Alumni will have their 18th Annual Reunion June 19 and 20, 2009 at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming. The reunion will be held at the Parkway Plaza Hotel in Casper and the rodeo takes place at the Casper Events Center.

The reunion is an opportunity to meet old friends and enjoy a great rodeo. Activities include a hospitality room, meetings and introductions, and an awards luncheon.

Sixty years has passed since the first College Finals at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in 1949. Harry Truman was in the White House and gas cost 17 cents a gallon when 84 contestants from 14 colleges and universities and 9 states met for that competition. All those cowboys are urged to come to Casper to see how college rodeo has changed and all the ways it has stayed the same. Past champions and contestants from the other years ending in nine-1959, 1969, 1979, 1989, and 1999- are invited to join the “old timers” from 1949. All the contestants from 1949 and champions from the other years will be introduced in the Arena prior to the Friday performance.

. . Many of the contestants at the first finals were members of the “Greatest Generation” returning to college after service in World War II. “College rodeo and professional rodeo owe a debt to these men. They brought a maturity and depth to the sport that has served it well,” said Sylvia Mahoney, former rodeo coach, author of College Rodeo From Show to Sport, and the founder of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Alumni.

Rookie of the Year scholarships, as well as team scholarships, are given by the alumni. To raise funds for the team scholarship a saddle drawing will be held at the CNFR. A beautiful hand tooled saddle will be given to the lucky ticket holder at the Saturday night performance. Tickets for the drawing will be available at the alumni booth in the Events Center. A portion of the proceeds from the drawing will go to the Central Wyoming Hospice in Casper.

For more information, go to our web page www.collegerodeoalumni.com or call