Find non-stop action in the NTSF rodeo arena 09 The 84th Annual North Texas State Fair and Rodeo kicks off on Friday night with rodeo action from the professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls competing on the nationwide Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tour. The PRCA is the premier professional rodeo organization in the world with over 500 sanctioned rodeos in the United States each year, the NTSF in Denton being one of those stops. Money accrued by contestants throughout the year goes toward qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, held each December. The top 15 money earners in each event get the opportunity
to compete for the world championship at the richest rodeo in the world. Rodeos like the North Texas State Fair are a big part of that system, and over the three days of PRCA action at the NTSF, spectators will see several past world champions competing, as well as some up-and-coming competitors who are on their way to earning that prestigious title themselves. The PRCA performances at the North Texas State Fair are Friday Aug. 17 through Sunday Aug. 19. Monday Aug. 20 at the Fair will feature working ranch cowboys competing as teams in events that modern rodeo competition evolved from. These events include team
doctoring, which simulates separating out a sick steer or heifer from the herd, roping head and heel, and marking the animal with chalk to substitute actual inoculation or veterinary procedure. Even today on most ranches, this is the most efficient means of medicating a single animal far from the pens. Another event is the team sorting in which the team of four cowboys must separate animals from the herd, in numerical order from numbers pasted on their hip, and keep those separated out from rejoining the herd. That’s easier than it sounds. Cattle are herd creatures by nature and keeping one determined beef from rejoining the herd is diffi-
cult enough, keeping six to eight from rejoining, with only four cowboys on horseback, can be impossible. The team with the highest number sorted within the specified time frame is the winner. This event really stresses teamwork and the horsemanship required is truly impressive. Team branding recreates the annual spring round-up and branding of new calves. One man rides into the herd and ropes a calf, drags it back across a line to the designated branding area where two cowboys hold the calf down, remove the rope and a third man runs in with a branding iron, marked with chalk, brands the calf and returns to his station. The team with the
North Texas State Fair
highest success rate in two minutes is the winner. Again, as in the other events, teamwork and horsemanship are essential to success. The crowd favorite has to be the ranch bronc riding. One cowboy from the team, usually one of the younger members, is selected to mount a bronc using a working ranch saddle. Unlike the saddle bronc riding in the pro rodeo, the cowboy is allowed to hang on with both hands. This does not necessarily make it any easier. The horses duck and dive and there are always some unplanned dismounts, usually not feet first.
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Miss Rodeo • North Texas State Fair Princess • Teen • Queen contestants 2012
Cassidy Wilson
Halley Inrig
Kate Johnson
Katie Youngman
Catherine Ensor
Meredith McDavid
Michala Wilson
Decatur, Texas
Sanger, Texas
Abernathy, Texas
Denton, TX
Colleyville, Texas
Southlake, Texas
Decatur, Texas
Rodeo Pageants
Caryn McKinley
Kelsey Gunnier
Sarah Claughton
Commerce, Texas
Pilot Point, Texas
Whitesboro, Texas
friday, August 17th saturday, August 18th rodeo coronation sunday, august 19TH at prca rodeo HO
HO