NFR BLVD

your mid-season guide to the Wrangler nFr

The 10 BesT Days of The year After DArk the epic growth of Beyond the dirt and the after Party

the Nfr experieNce stars, Concerts, shows, Cowboy Christmas, more

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What It Means to All of Us: “To rodeo fans and fans of the country lifestyle, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is like Disneyland. When I went to Disneyland with my kids you couldn’t see it all in one day. It took three or four days. You had to map out your trip. The same goes for the Wrangler NFR. “The competition at Thomas & Mack is the best choreographed championship event in sports. fans can start the night at more than 40 different properties showing it. The NFR Experience gives you ten days with a plethora of options that start at nine every morning and go until you drop.”

-- Pat Christenson, President, Las Vegas Events.

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The 10 Best Days of the Year Growth of the NFR After-Dark Experience Creating the Wrangler NFR Show The Renovation of the Thomas & Mack Center Wrangler NFR Historical Timeline Legends of the Wrangler NFR Who is Las Vegas Events?

Q & A: Charlie Daniels Flint Rasmussen: More Than a Clown Miss Rodeo America Lives Her Dream A Preview of Cowboy Christmas Looking Ahead to RMEF Hunter/Outdoor Expo Junior NFR – Young Guns

NFR Blvd.

Publisher Las Vegas Events Editor Brian Hurlburt Designer Christopher A. Jones Cover Design Eric Berner Contributors Patrick C. Everson, Matt Jacob Las Vegas Events 770 E. Warm Springs Road, Suite 140 Las Vegas, NV 89119 Copyright 2016 Las Vegas Events.

All rights reserved. No re-production of any items within this publication permitted without the express written consent of Las Vegas Events.

%2 World Series of Team Roping Goes B-I-G %4 Boyd Gaming Chute Out Rodeo – A New Style of Rodeo

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ten best days of the year

The Wrangler NFR is like Christmas morning, winning the Super Bowl and partying on New Year’s Eve, all wrapped up in one.

By Brian Hurlburt

k So, how does one sum up the excitement and impact of the 10 days of the

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas?

How does one describe an event that turned the “December doldrums” in Las Vegas, when hotels and showrooms were empty, into arguably the most exciting two weeks of the year in a city that hosts some of the biggest events in the world?

How does one describe an event where prize money has increased from $1.8 million to $10 million since the move to Las Vegas from Oklahoma City?

How does one describe an event that brings tears to the eyes of some of the toughest athletes in the world?

How does one describe an event that turns an international city into a “Country Town,” where every showroom is filled with country superstars and nearly every resort goes Western?

How does one describe an event that brings fans from all over the world— many making the journey every year—and is basically a living and breathing

Photo: Tom Donoghue.

part of so many lives?

For sure, it’s a difficult—if not impossible—task to capture the Wrangler NFR vibe, because those magical 10 days every December mean so much to so many. But we’ll give it a try.

The “biggest and baddest” rodeo in the world combines the excitement of Christmas morning, the pandemonium of New Year’s Eve and the passion and fanfare of the Fourth of July.

It truly is the 10 Best Days of the Year.

“It’s literally what we live for,” two-time world champion bull rider Sage Kimzey said. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, and it’s all I’ve ever dreamed of doing. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve wanted to strap a gold buckle around my waist.

“Getting to come out here to Las Vegas is always special. It’s an awesome atmosphere and the fans are always incredible. The tradition and the world championship buckle first come to mind when I

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think about the Wrangler NFR. It is so closely associated with Las Vegas, and there is such a prestige that comes with making it to Las Vegas.”

Since settling in Las Vegas in 1986, the Wrangler NFR has blossomed into much, much more than a rodeo. It has truly become a part of the fabric of the Western heritage in the United States and across the world. Still, at its heart is the rodeo.

Or, more precisely, THE rodeo.

For 10 nights in the Thomas & Mack Center each winter, the world’s top rodeo athletes put on an epic show. The Wrangler NFR is often described as the “Super Bowl of Rodeo,” but that would only be true if, say, the New England Patriots played the Seattle Seahawks 10 straight times—in 10 days. And then they added up the total points to determine the winner.

Actually, it might be more appropriate to label the Super Bowl as one-tenth of the Wrangler NFR.

Photos: This page by Tom Donoghue; Opposite page top Steve Spatafore, bottom PRCA ProRodeo by Larry Smith.

ten best

ten best “The Wrangler NFR is by far the best rodeo in the country,” said Michael Gaughan, a legendary Las Vegas hotel-casino operator and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame member who was instrumental in bringing the Wrangler NFR to town. “You have the 15 top eventers every year in all eight events each night. You also have the best stock here.

“It’s a fast-moving rodeo, and it has to be fast to get it done in two hours every night. It’s just very enjoyable to watch, and it’s in a wonderful venue.

There isn’t a bad seat at the Thomas & Mack. You are there with a true rodeo crowd each night and it sells out every night. The rodeo has been great for the city, and the city has been great for the rodeo.”

Last year, country music legend Charlie Daniels was given the honor of writing the official

Wrangler NFR song. His lyrics for “It Don’t Get No Better Than That” provide another perfect way to describe Rodeo Week in Las Vegas: To be one of the Cowboys headed to Nevada to try for the December Gold.

Where the lights shine bright in the clear desert night and the people come to rock and roll.

Where the best of the best get put to the test and the rest might as well stay home.

When they put you in the chute and turn you loose you gotta prove that you’re bad to the bone.

Securing a spot in Las Vegas is a life-changing moment for any cowboy and represents the end of a difficult and challenging yearlong journey. The glitter of Las Vegas, the gold of the buckle and the $10 million purse is the guiding light that keeps the competitors motivated as they bounce from rodeo

A Busy 10 Days The Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas is filled with things to do pretty much around the clock, highlighted by the nightly rodeo, and the Cowboy Christmas and RMEF Hunter/Outdoor Expo.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Nightly Performance 6:45 pm at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Cowboy Christmas/RMEF Hunter/Outdoor Expo 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily from December 1-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Admission is free.

Visit NFRExperience.com for all schedule details from now until December.

NFRBLVD | 7

ten best “People come without ever having tickets because of what Las Vegas has done to magnify the rodeo,” said PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman.

“The relationship between the PRCA, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas Events and the city of Las Vegas is absolutely cemented.

The atmosphere the city has created is like nothing else in the world. As we get toward the end, it will become even more exciting, because of the money involved. That last weekend is gonna be phenomenal competition.” to rodeo from week to week, month to month.

“The 10-night championship is the culmination of what 6,000 cowboys and cowgirls work toward all year,” said Keith Martin, PRCA Chairman of the Board. “The road is long and arduous, as many contestants cross the country to attend as many PRCA rodeos as they can. The most talented and dedicated athletes rise through the ranks until the best of the best arrive here at the Wrangler NFR to battle for the coveted golf buckle.”

For some of the contestants, finally catching a glimpse of the Las Vegas glow is the culmination of a life’s work.

“When you drive into Las Vegas and you top that hill and you [first] see the lights, or even flying into Las Vegas, it’s a surreal and cool feeling, and you know it is going to be a special 10 days,” said Sherry Cervi, four-time barrel racing world champion.

“It’s always a goal to make it to the Wrangler NFR each year, and there is so much adrenalin that we feel when we get to be a part of it.”

While the Wrangler NFR is first and foremost a sporting event, the 10 days in Las Vegas represent much more to the competitors and fans. It’s about a lifestyle and heartbeat, one that comes from all corners of the country and takes over the Entertainment Capital of the World.

“It goes back to how I was raised,” Kimzey said.

“Ever since I was a little kid, it was never OK being mediocre. I always wanted to be the best and have been fantasizing about being a world champion since I was 3 years old and was in my first chute.

I’ve literally dedicated my life to my craft and my sport and to preserving the Western heritage and

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Win Big With New Wrangler NFR App Rodeo fans can sign up for the Get Tagged promotion through the re-designed NFR Experience Mobile Application and have a chance to win big prizes. The contest allows fans to collect entries into the Prize Barn by attending NFR Experience events throughout the city during the 10 days of the Wrangler NFR. Details and locations are available through the app.

Each time a registered fan enters a designated location, the GPS-enabled technology will track that activity and provide an additional entry into the Prize Barn. The more activity throughout the designated locations, the more chances to win. Prizes include premium, all-session plaza tickets to the 2017 Wrangler NFR and a 2016 Wrangler NFR contestant jacket, plus other grand prizes.

Also new for 2016 are enhanced schedule features, a “What’s Hot” category, custom NFR Experience camera function, parking information and maps, Wrangler NFR stats, stock and contestant content buttons, and news and social media feeds.

The Wrangler NFR Experience app is free and available on all platforms. iPhone users can search for NFR 2016 at the iPhone App Store, while Android users can search for NFR in the Google Play Store. For more, visit NFRExperience.com.

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ten best just taking pride in being an American cowboy.

“The Wrangler NFR, bar none, is the greatest rodeo in the world. If you are a rodeo fan, a western lifestyle fan, an extreme sports fan—it doesn’t matter. Any walk of life can come and enjoy this rodeo and there’s no debate about it, the Wrangler NFR has been and forever will be the best and most prestigious rodeo. It has the best contestants, the biggest payouts, the best stock, the best fans, and is held in the best place to rodeo: Las Vegas.”

But as much as the Wrangler NFR is about the

competitors, who pour their blood, sweat and tears on the arena floor night after night in pursuit of greatness, it’s just as much about the people cheering them on. Just ask the man who was partly responsible for bringing this grand event West some three decades ago.

“The thing that makes the event so special is the fans,” Guaghan said. “This event is built for the fans. It’s because of the fans that the Wrangler NFR is what it is.”

What it is, quite simply, is the “10 Best Days of the Year.”

The Grand Entry – A Special Experience You would think that the most memorable moment for competitors in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo would be when they nod their head in the chute or when they hit the arena dirt for the first time.

You probably would be incorrect.

“The Grand Entry is definitely my favorite part of the rodeo,” four-time world champion barrel racer Sherry Cervi said. “As barrel racers, we don’t get to be in the arena very long, so the fact that

10 | NFRBLVD

I get to come in with my horse Arizona during The Grand Entry and watch the entire thing is special. It’s a blast to be a part of that each year.”

Back-to-back bull riding world champion Sage Kimzey echoes that sentiment.

“The moment that really hit home for me wasn’t nodding my head in the chute in the Thomas & Mack for the first time; it was the grand entry and the tip of the Resistol,” Kimzey said. “It was such a prestigious moment, and it brings tears to my eyes just talking about it. It was such an emotional moment for me because It was a lifetime of work fulfilled.

“It all came true in one moment when the announcer said, ‘From all of us to all you, a heartfelt tip of the Resistol.’ That was when I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve made it.’”

Photos: top Steve Spatafore; bottom Tom Donoghue.

For many competitors, The Grand Entry that kicks off each night’s competition is what is indelibly etched into the hearts and minds of each contestant. The processional to end all processionals includes every competitor, sponsor, Miss Rodeo America and others, all of whom line up on the dirt of the Thomas & Mack Center. It’s become such a popular tradition that every seat in the house is usually filled long before the first event begins.

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Photo: Las Vegas News Bureau.

Bey

yond the Dirt

The growth of the after-dark NFR Experience has been epic and resorts all over Las Vegas embrace the cowboy spirit.

By Patrick Everson

I

t’s now called NFR After-Dark, and it comprises all the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo activities that take place after the sun goes down—not at the Thomas & Mack Center, but at properties up and down the Strip and around town.

But before it became the huge draw that it is now, it first had to become a draw at all.

In the Wrangler NFR’s early days in Las Vegas, Fremont Street downtown was particularly popular with cowboys and fans, likely because Benny Binion—who owned downtown’s Binion’s Horseshoe—was a strong influence in getting the event relocated from Oklahoma City in 1985.

Growing NFR After Dark

Headline entertainment and major parties are held throughout the city, including the MGM Grand and Caesars Palace.

By the 1990s, Scott Sibella and Bill McBeath were working together at downtown’s Golden Nugget, and they rightly recognized the advantages of establishing relationships with the Wrangler NFR crowd. So they began coming up with a plan to keep those cowboys and customers around throughout the duration of the 10-day rodeo, and to bring them back year after year.

When their hotel-casino executive careers took them from downtown to the Strip, Sibella and McBeath took note of a major vacancy along the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard: There was no real Wrangler NFR presence. In 1996, the event began offering a satellite feed—now termed Beyond the Dirt—from the Thomas & Mack Center to hotel properties, and that’s when Sibella and McBeath recognized it was time for the Strip to strike.

“Nobody on the Strip was really taking advantage of the satellite feed,” Sibella said, pointing out that the Wrangler NFR draws hundreds of thousands of people to town annually, but only 18,000 per night can fit into the Thomas & Mack.

“You want hats inside your building. You’ve got to create a great party atmosphere.”

So Sibella, then at Treasure Island and now president and COO of the MGM Grand, got to

14 | NFRBLVD

work creating that atmosphere.

“When I came to Treasure Island in 2000, we did as much as we could to get cowboys to stay with us,” Sibella said. “We’d show the NFR inside our ballrooms and lounges, and to keep people on property, we started having entertainment.”

McBeath, then at The Mirage, had a similar recollection of how the Wrangler NFR first made hay on the Strip.

“Las Vegas becomes a destination of Western lifestyle for 10 to 12 days,” McBeath said. “During the 10 days of the rodeo, there’s only so much capacity in the arena, and the people seeking the Western lifestyle experience far exceeded that. We wanted our properties to be more NFR friendly.

“When ESPN starting doing the live feed, that’s not like blacking out a fight. So we thought, ‘Why not provide that content to anybody who wants it?’”

The great surprise to McBeath, now president and CEO of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, was that more properties weren’t as eager to jump on board and profit from the satellite feed.

“I don’t think people realized how much demand there was for that content streaming live around Las Vegas,” said McBeath, noting the costs involved to obtain the feed would be more than recouped.

Photos: This page L Tom Donoghue, R Courtesy of MGM Grand; Opposite page Courtesy of Boyd Gaming.

1450

Growing NFR After Dark “The fans would pay for it through Throughout the WNFR there gambling, food, ancillary spendare many chances for fans ing. We started developing a lot to get closer to the of programming around the NFR, action and their and when I left The Mirage in favorite stars.

2004, Scott came in and took it to a whole other level.”

Indeed, The Mirage offered cowboy sponsorships and autograph sessions, and with the upgrade in nightlife, the property drew plenty of rodeo types for both viewing parties—including on the huge screens at the sportsbook—and post-competition after-parties.

“The Mirage became the afterhours cowboy place to go for the whole 10 days of the rodeo,” McBeath said.

It was only a matter of time before more properties recognized the potential of the Wrangler NFR and got in on their share of the windfall.

Boyd Gaming has had a long relationship with the Wrangler NFR, and its Gold Coast, Sam’s Town and Orleans properties are all partner hotels. Jackie Ferrando, director of event marketing for Boyd Gaming, said non-ticketed fans no longer have to search for spots to take in the nightly rodeo action.

“If someone walks into the building and wants sorts, which went on to merge with Boyd Gamto find a viewing party, they will,” she said, paring—said for his property and others, the tipping ticularly pointing to The Orleans, which hosts a point was the satellite feed. great pre-rodeo party each night at its Bourbon “The single biggest thing we ever did was put Street Lounge, with live music and such. Then, the satellite feed into the hotels—other than get after the viewing party, the lounge takes on a honthe rodeo here in the first place,” Gaughan said. ky-tonk feel for the Legendary Buck’N Ball, with “We just got more and more people involved in more live music. the rodeo. With that, hotels started to have more But wait, there’s more! and more viewing parties. A lot of people who “Once those viewing parties are over, we have came to town without a ticket could watch the ro‘National Finals Tonight’ in The Orleans showdeo. It’s a direct feed, without commercials. It’s room,” Ferrando said. That venue seats 850 and like you’re there.” brings together as hosts renowned rodeo stars South Point general manager Ryan Growney Donnie Gay and Joe Beaver. has overseen massive growth in the property’s Back on South Las Vegas Boulevard, the South nightly offerings, particularly the viewing party.

Point has also become a major artery to the ever“When that thing started out, we used to do one expanding heart of Wrangler NFR After-Dark. ballroom on the weekends,” Growney said. “But Owner Michael Gaughan—whose Wrangler NFR we thought, ‘The casino is packed, so let’s do it all roots are deep and who used to own Coast Re-

Fans make the Wrangler NFR what it is

NFRBLVD | 15

Growing NFR After Dark

10 days.’ And it was packed again. Then we moved to a second ballroom, and then a third ballroom.

So all three, we fill.

“We have it in the showroom and the Grandview Lounge, and it’s filled there, too. We counted all the seats one day, and it’s gotta be pretty close to 5,000 chairs, and that doesn’t count the casino bars. People belly up to the bars in slot chairs and watch the rodeo.”

The head count is bolstered by the South Point hosting the World Series of Team Roping during the Wrangler NFR, along with the 80,000-square-foot Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s convention.

It doesn’t hurt attendance that the Wrangler NFR’s nightly go-round gold buckle awards show is at the South Point, with popular hosts Flint Rasmussen and Randy Corley, joined by the ever-popular contestants who claim first place in each of seven events contested daily at the Thomas & Mack.

Growney said the South Point’s NFR AfterDark has expanded about as much as it can. So for 2016, it’s all about bettering the experience. Based on room availability, fans are already sold.

“I got there in 2010, when we were doing weekends only. In four years, it grew to what we do now,” he said. “Our hotel rooms for the 2016 NFR sold out just two days after the 2015 NFR ended.”

While the South Point has clearly become the leader in NFR After-Dark attendance, Gaughan

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doesn’t hesitate to tip his cap to Sibella for getting the Strip up to snuff.

“Scott got personally involved with it,” Gaughan said. “More and more hotels have gotten involved. The MGM does a great job. I didn’t think anybody would catch me, but Scott gives me a run for my money.”

A few blocks east of the Strip, and not far from the Thomas & Mack, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has also been stricken with rodeo fever. Last year, the property greatly expanded its offerings and got great response, with viewing on the casino floor and the Side Bet Bar by the sportsbook, along with live music and more.

“We determined that our [proximity] to the Thomas & Mack was a key driver to get keenly involved,” said Drew Varga, the Hard Rock’s vice president of group sales and operations. “We saw so many NFR attendees on the casino floor and throughout the hotel, with compression in our December occupancy, that we said, ‘Why not go all out in promoting the NFR?’ Moreover, our proximity to the Las Vegas Convention Center, with all of its related activity, is extremely convenient for the NFR guest.

“We found the results to be profound.”

Varga said fans can expect even more action at the Hard Rock this year, with live music at Vinyl—the property’s intimate music venue—all 10 nights. The Hard Rock is also in talks to bring sev-

Photo: Courtesy of South Point.

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eral artists to perform in its main concert venue, The Joint. And of course, the Wrangler NFR viewing opportunities will also expand.

“With the viewing parties throughout the property, the atmosphere during the NFR is full-tilt old school and new school Country Western Cool,” Varga said. “The famed Center Bar is Cowboy/Cowgirl Central.”

Caesars Entertainment properties are also partner hotels and completely embrace the Wrangler NFR and the Beyond the Dirt vibe.

For the first time, Harrah’s Las Vegas is the official sponsor of the Wrangler NFR fans have hundreds of events to choose from saddle bronc event and the overup and down the Las Vegas Strip, including downtown. all company is the largest season ticket holder. Their commitment is deep and lasting. the Wrangler NFR. “We’re booking country muBally’s Las Vegas, the Flamingo, Planet Hollysic acts at The Chelsea. It shows that cowboys wood and Caesars Palace are always the place to and cowgirls are hip and cool.” be during the week and offer superstar entertainThe Cosmopolitan’s involvement just underment, official viewing parties, competitor meet scores the impact rodeo fans and NFR Afterand greets and more.

Dark activities have on the bottom line of hotelSibella, meanwhile, has ramped up the NFR casino operators.

After-Dark offerings in his role at the MGM “It’s the commitment from the destination Grand. The hotel’s conference center fills up and people who understand the Western lifenightly with raucous rodeo revelers who follow style and the cowboy way. Their entertainment the action on multiple big screens, with plenty of is important to them,” McBeath said. “To have a food and drink offerings, as well as an elevated mass of people that will move in unison from all VIP area. And when the competition ends, the over the country—and the world—for this 10-day party really begins. period, that’s why it was so important to extend “We’ve got a nice big bar, music playing, peothe Wrangler NFR contract another 10 years. It’s ple coming back from the rodeo,” he said. “And very difficult to promote travel to any destinawith our relationships with the cowboys, the tion at that time of year. fans come out on top.”

“Everybody has kind of figured out that this is As for The Cosmopolitan, a hip property that’s the consumer. Be thankful they’re here.” popular with the younger set, it might not seem But also remember, the post-NFR excitement a likely stop for rodeo enthusiasts at first glance. got its start in downtown, and the party is alive However, McBeath knows it would be crazy not and well with the Golden Nugget and the D hostto take advantage of the demographic. That’s esing official parties, concerts and other special pecially so during what would otherwise be the events throughout the week. In fact, the official slowest time of the year for Las Vegas tourism, kick-off to Wrangler NFR week in Las Vegas is the between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Downtown Hoedown on Nov. 30, a 30th-annual “Who would’ve thought The Cosmopolitan party that shouldn’t be missed. would become part of the NFR? We’re sponsorAnd be thankful that when the sun goes down, ing the team roping,” McBeath said, noting his the party starts up during the Wrangler NFR. hotel puts up the 30 team ropers who compete in

18 | NFRBLVD

Photo: Courtesy of The D.

Growing NFR After Dark

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Creating the NFR Experience The grand entry is a culmination of precision planning.

Wrangler National Finals Rodeo General Manager Shawn Davis reveals how he and his team make 10 nights of rodeo action happen perfectly and precisely each time.

k Shawn Davis is the same man who cast the

deciding vote to move the event from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas. But Davis, who also acts as the event’s GM, did more than just help change the location of the Wrangler NFR. He revolutionized the entire experience and turned the action on the dirt into one of sport’s most amazing—and precise—spectacles.

Davis wasn’t content with the way the rodeo was produced when he cast the decisive vote, and immediately upon moving the event to Las Vegas, he made one change that remains the staple of the show’s success: each performance is completed in less than two hours, down from the Oklahoma City rodeos that could last more than twice that long.

Another major change was implementing a va-

20 | NFRBLVD

riety of music following each ride. Previously after every ride, a four-piece band would play the same song … over and over and over again. Now country, rock and roll, and hip hop blast from the sound system, exciting the fans and pumping up the competitors.

Both first-time and veteran attendees marvel at and appreciate the precision, timing and efficiency of the Wrangler NFR. From the laser light show to the grand entry to the 120 rides, each aspect of the rodeo is planned out down to the second.

Davis’ operation is a year-round effort performed by a dedicated staff that manages all aspects of the operation. Here is Davis, in his own words, revealing the behind-the-scenes action of the Wrangler NFR and what it takes to success-

Photos: Tom Donoghue.

By Brian Hurlburt

creating the nfr experience Split-second timing and unbelievable experts add up to perfection.

fully produce the event for 10-straight nights: NFR BLVD: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the precision and excitement of the Wrangler NFR show?

Shawn Davis: A great sense of accomplishment and pride. Being able to put on a rodeo in the City of Entertainment and having it be the longest sold out event in the history of the city is amazing. We are able to put on an event that is entertaining to those in the stands and at the same time meeting a two hour time commitment for TV. People said it couldn’t be done but we consistently make it happen.

NFR BLVD: What provides the biggest challenge of the evening?

Davis: The biggest challenge is the months of preparation before the event happens and all of the planning that goes into it. Each night we want a seamless production, at least to the audience’s eyes, so it takes having the correct personnel and quality rehearsals. During the rehearsals, we not only plan for what we know will happen, but we prepare, to the best of our ability, for the possible unknown problems that could arise. As a result, we are able to accomplish our goal in the time frame allotted and not take away from the excitement level of the event. We also always want the fan to have more fun watching it in the arena than on TV so we make plans to not have the television production interfere with the in-arena experience. Pre-planning along with avoiding the pressures from those who are not aware of the production necessities are always major challenges.

NFR BLVD: It is one thing to plan for a one night spectacle, but how difficult is it to be perfect for 10-straight nights?

Davis: It is a year-long process and we have

to treat each night as though it is the first night.

Our personnel and preparation has to have the same intensity all the way through. We can never assume that just because the first night was a success that the fifth night will be the same. We have to be dedicated and have continual rehearsals and preparation. We take notes and keep accurate timelines each night and make corrections

“It is a year-long process and we have to treat each night as though it is the first night.” from night to night and continue to improve on the success from the previous performances. Our personnel is just like an athletic team in that we review our performance and we learn from our mistakes and capitalize on our successes to make each night better.

NFR BLVD: What are some of the “wow” factors and statistics that go into the production?

Davis: We hire 175 personnel annually to work the event. Our workers include past rodeo competitors, PRCA World Champions and Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductees, professional people who

NFRBLVD | 21

creating the nfr experience

Pictured Left: World champ Sage Kimzey makes it look easy; so does the team behind the chutes. Pictured Top: A

work for Dancing with the Stars and American Idol, and production people from major events including, but not limited to, International Equine Shows and the Olympic Games. Some of our personnel have been with the event for more than 30 years on a consecutive basis. Each year, we hire the most dedicated and enthusiastic people in the business. We also bring in more than 2,000 tons of dirt for the arena and stalls, and oversee the management of more than 700 head of livestock.

NFR BLVD: What are a few of your best memories of producing the Wrangler NFR? Davis: One of my best memories actually came in the third year of the NFR moving to Las Vegas.

That was the year we sold all the tickets. Since I was the deciding vote to move it to Las Vegas, my name was on the line to make it a success and since that year it has been sold out. Each year that I have been the General Manager, we have been able to say this year was the best produced NFR. Other great memories include watching college students that I have coached realize their dreams of being crowned a world champion along with all the top moments of the NFR. NFR BLVD: How would you best describe the Wrangler NFR experience?

Davis: The original idea was to have the best against the best, and the cowboys and cowgirls to have their moment of glory inside the arena with all of the attention focused on them. Since

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the move to Las Vegas, we have added the glitz and glamour to the western heritage, which has brought a whole new excitement to the sport of rodeo.

NFR BLVD: What is your favorite part of the evening?

Davis: When I finally get back to my room at night and get to enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with knowing we had another successful night and everything is organized and planned for the next day.

NFR BLVD: What do you believe is the most important aspect of producing the Wrangler NFR? Davis: I believe that production sets the tone for the event. I want all my personnel to take pride in their position, to do it to the best of their ability and to feel part of the team that makes the event successful. If they take pride in their work and believe that their job is the most important, then the level of excitement and professionalism will elevate the event. As a result, the contestants perform at a higher level, which adds to the fans enthusiasm and that makes the event even more exciting. Many have referred to the Wrangler NFR as a well-oiled machine, but it has many parts that require attention every year to make it the best it can be. I believe it was John Wooden that said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.� I truly believe that. Without the attention to the little details, one can miss the big picture altogether.

Photos L to R: Sage Kimzey by Tom Donoghue; Arena by Adam Shane.

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Thomas & mack renovation

If The Shoe Fits The home of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo adds more than $70 million in upgrades, including “The ‘Shoe”, a new interactive fan experience area with unmatched views of the Las Vegas Strip.

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Nearly two years ago, a massive renovation project began at the Thomas & Mack Center, the home of rodeo’s biggest annual event. Since the Oct. 1, 2014, groundbreaking, fans of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo have been able to take advantage of some of the amenities and changes, slowly but surely.

This year, fans will get to enjoy a whole new experience—with emphasis on “new,” as the $72.5 million project, overseen by Thomas & Mack Executive Director Mike Newcomb, has left no stone

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unturned.

“Everything the guest will see is all brand new—all new seating, new concourse, new concession stands and restrooms,” Newcomb said.

“Additional points of sale for concessions and additional restrooms were added.”

Still more enhancements: Newcomb said the number of seats in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act was nearly quadrupled, from 26 to 98. This includes new ADA-compliant sky decks that have been built into the balcony.

Photo: Courtesy of Thomas & Mack Center.

By Patrick Everson

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As cool as the sky decks are—and fans will no doubt fall in love with the unbelievable views offered of the arena floor—they aren’t the most spectacular component of the renovation.

That honor goes to a 36,000-squarefoot addition off the northwest end of the arena. During the 10-day Wrangler NFR, the space will be known as “The ‘Shoe” and will feature interactive areas, the Walk of Champions, saddle displays and a 2,500-squarefoot, glass-enclosed balcony with Strip views. “The ‘Shoe” will also be the site of CBS Sports Network’s rodeo pre-show.

All the arena upgrades are certain to make the already-incredible Wrangler NFR experience that much better.

“This year, fans will have the benefit of the renovation being 100 percent complete,” said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, which produces the Wrangler NFR. “There is no bigger priority for LVE than the fans. There are improvements fans will see from the time they arrive until they depart.”

Perhaps as important, there also will be a new way to enter and exit the arena adjacent to “The ‘Shoe”. Between expanding the concourse and the new entry point, the flow getting into, around and out of the rodeo on a nightly basis will be greatly improved. Also new this year, tickets will include the recommended entry location to help get fans to their seats as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Outside, as fans arrive, there will be an enhanced plaza experience on the northwest side, and there will be an improved NFR Fan Zone,” Christenson said. “In addition, all of the added space provides fans with more interactive opportunities, but also greatly reduces congestion on the concourse. In the past, a half-hour before the rodeo and a half-hour after, you couldn’t move on the concourse.”

Meanwhile, on the arena’s southeast side opposite “The ‘Shoe”, fans can enjoy all the activities and amenities of the returning Cowboy Corral, which takes over the adjacent Cox Pavilion with live music, a huge bar and plenty of space to sit and relax or kick up your heels. A new, similarly named space, The Corral, which is ostensibly an extension of the Cowboy Corral, will offer its own bar and food service.

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Further enhancing the fan experience, two new outdoor video boards added to the face of the arena and will broadcast Wrangler NFR moments, highlight videos, interactive content and contestant interviews. And this being the digital age, fans can stay better connected with free WiFi in both The Corral and “The ‘Shoe”, and Christenson said the entire building will have improved cellular service and charging stations.

But as is the case every year, the best part of 2016 will be what happens on the dirt in arena.

The fans’ ability to see as much of the action as possible, unobstructed, has been paramount for Newcomb, Christenson and all involved with the Wrangler NFR. “If you look at what has made the Thomas & Mack a great venue for the Wrangler NFR, it’s the sightlines,” Christenson said. “The fans will still have excellent sightlines, but now with an upgraded building and upgraded concessions.”

And if you can’t secure a ticket for a seat in the arena, or if you just want to enjoy the festivities at “The ‘Shoe” or the Cowboy Corral, you can take in nightly action there, as Christenson notes that all TVs will have live feeds of the rodeo action.

Indeed, the mission to create a bigger, better Wrangler NFR Experience has been accomplished.

“The whole experience of watching, being a part of the Wrangler NFR, is more convenient, seamless and entertaining,” Christenson said.

It’s time to ride.

Photo: Courtesy of Thomas & Mack Center.

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timeline: WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO and las vegas (1985 - 2015)

Shawn Davis, shown here (at left) with Phil Arce and Benny Binion, executes the agreement to bring the NFR to Las Vegas. Davis, a former champion saddle bronc rider, has been the general manager of the NFR since 1986.

Ty Murray becomes the youngest allaround world champion, winning the first of his seven all-around gold buckles. Also that year, Tuff Hedeman rides past the whistle and fans the bull to honor his fallen friend, Lane Frost.

NFR attendance surpasses 170,000 for the first time, reaching a total of a 171,368.

Team ropers Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien Cooper set an NFR record with a time of 59.1 seconds on 10 head.

Charmayne James wins her 10th consecutive world title. She won one more in 2002.

Fred Whitfield turns in the greatest performance in NFR tie-down roping history when he ropes and ties 10 head in 84 seconds.

The prize money for the NFR surpasses $3 million for the first time.

Jim Sharp becomes the first cowboy to ride all 10 bulls at the NFR. He goes on to win 3 aggregate titles.

The Mirage opens on November 22 with 3,039 rooms.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivers the key-note address at COMDEX, a convention held in Las Vegas from 1979 - 2003.

Excalibur opens June 19. At that time it is the world’s largest resort hotel with 4,032 rooms. The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels win the NCAA Basketball Championship.

The first NFR is held in Las Vegas.

Total attendance that year is 42,000.

The city looked a little different then.

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Satellite TV feeds of the Wrangler NFR are offered in Las Vegas resorts for first time in 1996.

This is a year of tremendous growth in Las Vegas.

The Luxor, Treasure Island and MGM Grand all open in late 1993. With 5,000 rooms, the MGM Grand becomes the largest resort hotel in the world.

Work begins on Fremont Street Experience. Downtown Fremont Street is permanently closed to automobile traffic on September 7.

New York - New York Hotel Casino opens on the Las Vegas Strip on January 3.

More than 100,000 people a day visit the new resort during the casino’s first days of operation.

The Landmark Hotel is imploded on November 7.

Images provided by Tom Donoghue, Will Hines, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas News Bureau, PRCA, Steve Spatafore and UNLV Sports Information.

Trevor Brazile wins his 19th gold buckle, besting the previous record holder, Guy Allen, who finished his career with 18.

Joe Beaver returns from injury to claim his third all-around world championship.

Rope Myers takes down 10 steers in a record 37.4 seconds.

The prize money for the NFR surpasses $5 million for the first time.

Wrangler NFR rookie Ryan Jarrett, at 21 years of age, becomes the third youngest competitor to win the world all-around championship.

Since arriving in 1985, more than 4 million fans have attended the world’s richest and most prestigious rodeo.

Sage Kimzey earned $318,631 and ran away with not only the world title in 2014, but also the Wrangler NFR average buckle, as well as the PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year award and the RAM Top Gun truck.

Billy Etbauer rides Cool Alley Dip for an NFR-record 93 points in 2003.

The Wrangler NFR has sold out 290 consecutive performances.

In December 2007, Las Vegas Events announces that the song “Cowboy Town,” recorded by superstar duo Brooks & Dunn, has been adopted as the official song of the Wrangler NFR for the next two years.

The Las Vegas Convention and Vistors Authority debuts its new advertising campaign “Vegas Stories,” with the tagline “What Happens Here, Stays Here.”

Las Vegas is a steadfast supporter of the NFR and the sport of rodeo. In 2007 alone, Las Vegas’ commitment to the NFR was $9,175,000.

Las Vegas Events and the PRCA agree to a ten-year extension of the NFR, through 2024.

The total purse of the Wrangler NFR reaches $10 million.

Las Vegas hotel room inventory tops 126,000 for the first time.

City Center opens on the Las Vegas Strip.

The NASCAR race attracts 132,000 to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jeff Burton claims the victory.

Las Vegas celebrates its Centennial year throughout 2005, beginning with the New Year’s Eve fireworks display. Las Vegas celebrates its 100th birthday on May 15, 2005.

The Thomas & Mack Center begins its $72 million modernization. The project will be complete in 2016.

NFRBLVD | 29

LEGENDS OF NFR 7

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Profiling the Legends The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas is where names are made and legends are born, both human and stock. Here are some of the most notable and notorious.

By Matt Jacob

Lewis Feild (Bareback Rider) 1

Few cowboys in the history of rodeo were more talented or tough than Lewis Feild. Fewer still were more respected. Feild burst on the scene in 1980, winning the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Rookie of the Year honor, but the Utah native really hit his stride in 1985—the same year the National Finals Rodeo made its move to Las Vegas. In that initial year in the land of neon, Feild shined brightest, winning his first of two straight world bareback crowns and his first of three consecutive world all-around titles, be-

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coming the first roughstock cowboy to claim an all-around since the legendary Larry Mahan in 1973. Among his many other accolades, Feild was the first roughstock competitor (and just the third cowboy overall) to eclipse $1 million in career earnings, and he was a three-time winner of the renowned Linderman Award (1981, ’88 and ’91).

A 1992 inductee into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Feild died on February 15 at age 59 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, but he left behind quite a legacy: His son, Kaycee Feild, is a four-time world champion bareback rider (2011-14).

Photos: Ty Murray, Bodacious, Joe Beaver, Khadafy Skoal, Ote Berry by Dan Hubbell; Lewis Feild, Charmayne James provided by PRCA ProRodeo.

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legends of nfr Joe Beaver (Tie-Down Roper) 7

There simply has never been a better man with a rope in his hand than eight-time world champ Joe Beaver. Smitten with roping since age 5—when he would practice running down goats while atop a Shetland pony—Beaver followed his passion through his teenage years, when he began to get noticed in rodeo circles. Then in 1985, not long after his 20th birthday, Beaver became the youngest tie-down roper to ever qualify for the NFR. Not content to just be one of the top 15, Beaver went out and bested the competition for his first world title, also winning the Overall and Tie-Down Rookie of the Year awards.

He would go on to capture four more tie-down roping gold buckles over a six-year period (1987-88, 1992-93), then added three all-around world titles to his résumé, claiming rodeo’s top prize in 1995, 1996 and 2000. The latter was especially gratifying, as Beaver overcame two obstacles: a series of injuries that sidelined him for most of 1999, and a $75,000 deficit entering the NFR. Now 50, Beaver was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2000 and became just the fifth cowboy in history to surpass $3 million in career earnings in 2014.

Billy Etbauer (Saddle Bronc Rider) They say rodeo is a young man’s game. Billy Etbauer would agree and disagree at the same time.

As a young cowboy, Etbauer was a dominant force in saddle bronc riding, qualifying for the NFR in just his second year as a pro in 1989 at age 26.

Three years later, Etbauer won his first sandle bronc gold buckle at 29 … then won his second at 33 … his third and fourth at 36 and 37 … and his fifth, in 2004, at age 41 years and 11 months, becoming rodeo’s oldest roughstock world champ in history.

But he hardly stopped there. In 2009, a month shy of his 47th birthday, Etbauer earned a ticket to compete in the NFR for a record 21st consecutive year. Although he fell one gold buckle short of tying the saddle bronc record of six world championships shared by Dan Mortensen and Casey Tibbs, Etbauer won an NFR-record 51 rounds and set the event’s record for best score with a 93 on Cool Alley in 2003 (a mark he matched the following year on the same horse). He also became the second cowboy to earn more than $3 million on the circuit, the first to do so while competing in a single event. Now 53, Etbauer was a member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

Ty Murray (Bull Riding) 3

“I don’t care about going down in history as a great bull rider or bronc rider,” Ty Murray says on his personal website. “I hope people remember me as a great cowboy.” Unfortunately, Murray didn’t get this wish, as he is not, in fact, remembered for being a great cowboy. Rather, he’s remembered for being the greatest cowboy of them all. Born and raised in Phoenix, Murray’s rodeo roots date to the age of two, when he first straddled a calf. After a decorated amateur career, Murray turned pro when he was 18 years old and announced his presence with authority, winning the 1988 bareback riding and overall Rookie of the Year awards. A year later—and just two months after his 19th birthday—Murray reached the pinnacle of his sport by winning the first of an unprecedented six consecutive all-around world championships, the last one in 1994 tying him the legendary Larry Mahan. It took four more years, but Murray finally surpassed his idol in 1998 by winning his seventh and final all-round crown, to go with his second bull riding title. In addition to his nine world championships, Murray shattered earnings records throughout his career, including becoming his sport’s youngest millionaire at the ripe old age of 23. As tough as they came, Murray battled through numerous injuries—including reconstructive surgeries on both knees and shoulders—to become the most dominant roughstock cowboy of his era. Murray, 46, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2000.

Charmayne James (Barrel Racing) 2 If you gathered a group of 10 rodeo aficionados and asked them to select the best all-time cowboys in the sport’s various events, you’d undoubtedly see a heated debate that would drag on for hours (if not days). At least until the talk turned to barrel racing, where the debate begins and ends—quickly—with Charmayne James, the most decorated cowgirl in history. James’ accomplishments (mostly aboard her beloved horse Scamper) take longer to list than one of her trips around the barrels: most consecutive NFR appearances (19); most consecutive world championships (10, from 1984-93); most career world titles in a single event (11, the last coming in 2002 on a different horse); all-time money earner; first cowgirl to surpass $1 million in earnings. So much was James in a class

NFRBLVD | 31

legends of nfr by herself that she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1992 at the age of 22, which was 11 years before she formally retired.

Bobby Hurley and Allen Bach (Team Roping) Separately, header Bobby Hurley and heeler Allen Bach were world-class team ropers. Together, they produced one of the greatest teamroping runs in Wrangler NFR history. A tandem for just four years, Hurley and Bach put on a performance for the ages in 1993 when they joined forces to win the final five rounds at the Thomas & Mack Center, helping Hurley claim his first of two world championships (at the time, headers and heelers competed for separate titles, and Bach was the top-money heeler that year). Then in 1995, their dominance went in the opposite direction as they captured three of the first six go-rounds; this time, both Hurley and Bach won gold buckles. Hurley qualified for the Wrangler NFR 15 times, including 12 consecutive appearances from 1986-97, and once shared the thenNFR record of 4.3-second runs with Mike Beers (1988) and Dennis Gatz (1989). Meanwhile, Bach competed at 30 Wrangler NFRs from 19762008—more than any team roper in history—and won four gold buckles a quarter century apart (1979, 1990, 1995, 2006).

Ote Berry (Steer Wrestler) 6

Born Scott Berry but known in the rodeo realm by his nickname “Ote,” this four-time world bulldogging champ was defined by his durability and consistency. Like Lewis Feild, Berry won his first gold buckle in 1985, rallying for the title by capturing the ninth and 10th go-rounds in Las Vegas.

Berry made it back to the Thomas & Mack Center in each of the next four years, but just missed out on the big prize. However, as the ’80s gave way to the ’90s, Berry found glory once again, winning back-to-back world crowns in 1990 and 1991. From there, Berry would endure another three-year buckle-less drought, but the Rapid City, South Dakota, native proved he was far from finished when in 1995 he topped the bulldogging field again. In doing so, Berry became the third cowboy in history to win four steer-wrestling world titles. Berry, 53, qualified for the NFR 14 times, and he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1998.

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Cool Alley (Saddle Bronc)

How talented was Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Cool Alley? The 1,600-pound mare earned Bareback Riding Horse of the Year from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2001, then three years later she won Bronc Riding Horse of the Year. For good measure, Cool Alley won the latter award again in 2008, sharing it with Blood Brother. Her greatest claim to fame was under five-time world champion saddle bronc rider and Hall of Famer Billy Etbauer, who in 2003 set the WNFR-record with a 93-point ride aboard Cool Alley. Etbauer drew Cool Alley again at the 2004 WNFR, and the pair matched the record score in the 10th go-round.

Khadafy Skoal (Bareback) 5

Ask any competitive rodeo rider, and he’ll tell you he’s only as good as the beast he sits atop. Which is why the world’s top bareback cowboys loved drawing the opportunity to climb aboard Khadafy Skoal during his run of 16 consecutive Wrangler NFRs. A blue roan gelding, Khadafy Skoal was the first horse born and raised in Wyoming to be named PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year, and he won top horse honors at the Wrangler NFR in 1994, ’96 and ’99. Khadafy Skoal was retired in 2004 and died at the age of 30 in 2013, one year after being inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Bodacious (Bull) 4

It takes a special kind of courage for a man to willingly sit atop a 2,000-pound bull. It took nerves of steel—not to mention everlasting faith in a higher power—for a man to sit atop the baddest bull of them all. Hardly your run-of-the-mill bucker, the aptly named Bodacious was a cross-bred Charbray beast with bad intentions—so much so that only eight of the 135 riders to mount him held on for the full eight seconds. Widely recognized as the most dangerous bull to ever dash out of the chute, the magnificent, high-kicking Bodacious sent several cowboys to the hospital during his four-year run, including former world champion and Hall of Famer Tuff Hedeman, who suffered a gruesome facial injury aboard Bodacious in 1995. That year, after the final round of the WNFR, Bodacious’ owners retired him out of fear he might kill someone. Named the top bull of the WNFR in 1992, ’94 and ’95, Bodacious was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1999, the year before dying of kidney failure at age 12.

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profile Las Vegas Events

Wrangler NFR: a 24/7, 365 Experience Las Vegas Events coordinates the transformation of Las Vegas into a Cowboy Town for 10 days each year, but these days the NFR Experience lasts all year long.

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According to Las Vegas Events President Pat Christensen, a simple math equation reveals the impact Las Vegas can have on an event. “One plus one equals 10 in Las Vegas,� Christenson said.

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That certainly applies to the long history of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

The Wrangler NFR has sold out 300 consecutive performances and an estimated 40,000 people per day participate in events at more than 25 dif-

Photo: Steve Spatafore.

By Brian Hurlburt

NFRBLVD | 35

teed, and it took a few years for each element ferent hotels up and down the Las Vegas Strip. that today makes up the entire 10-day experiThe rodeo has turned December doldrums into ence to hit on all cylinders. Las Vegas Events has rodeo riches. In all, the Wrangler NFR and ancilcontinually worked to build new events during lary events have made more than a billion-dollar economic impact in Las Vegas.

The demand and excitement created by precision planning throughout the city amazes even seasoned sports executives.

“In Las Vegas, we do a lot of things in a big way and the Wrangler NFR is near the top of the list,” Tim Keener, Las Vegas Events Vice President of Event Operations and Tickets said.

“Having spent a good part of my early career with ESPN, I was able to work and be involved with major sporting events throughout the country on an annual basis. I was able to see the level of fan interest in these events and especially how hard it was to secure tickets for each. I can tell you that the Wrangler NFR and these special ten days in Vegas are as big of an event as any that I’ve been part of in my career.”

The NFR Experience is permanently a part of Las Vegas fabric, and that is a testament to the partnership between Las Vegas Events and nearly the entire the Las Vegas The Wrangler NFR is a fully immersive experience that takes resort community. over the city and the grounds of the Thomas & Mack Center.

“Without the support of our hotel Partners, the Wrangler NFR would the entire 10 days and with each passing year not be the experience it has become,” Vice Presimore and more resorts joined with them and the dent of Corporate Marketing Bo Gardner said. more Las Vegas turned Western.

“There is no other place that can offer the conLas Vegas is a 24/7 town and the Wrangler venience, the opportunities and the city-wide NFR Experience allows fans to enjoy the event support at the levels we do here in the Entertainat any time day or night. And social media and ment Capital of the World. We truly transition other technology now allow fans to experience to a Cowboy Town in December with more than the Wrangler NFR 365 days a year.

400,000 fans enjoying every part of the overall experience from the Wrangler NFR 9 – 5 to Be“The great thing about the Wrangler NFR each yond the Dirt Viewing Parties and the NFR After year is that there is a season-long build up to DecemDark -- all taking place at our partner hotels.” ber and now, more than ever, rodeo fans have so many Ever since Wrangler NFR General Manager ways to follow the action and share in that anticipaShawn Davis cast the deciding vote to move the tion,” Michael Mack, Las Vegas Events Vice President event from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas, the legof Marketing, said. “Our goal at Las Vegas Events is end and lore of Wrangler NFR week has grown to expand the reach and touch points of the Wrangler into what can only be described as a phenomenon.

NFR, through database marketing and in the expanBut success out of the chute wasn’t guaransion of our digital and social media platforms.”

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Photo: Tom Donoghue.

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Q&A: Charlie Daniels

It Don’t Get No Better Than …

Charlie Daniels

k Country music icon Charlie Daniels has been

coming to Las Vegas for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo since Day One and just might be the biggest fan of them all.

“There’s no doubt about it … the Wrangler NFR in Las Vegas is my favorite time of year,” Daniels said.

In what was a no-brainer, event organizers last year asked Daniels and his band to record the definitive anthem for rodeo’s mega-event. It took Daniels less than eight seconds to agree, and soon after the lyrics for “It Don’t Get No Better Than That” flowed out of him like a perfect ride.

“Being such a big rodeo fan, writing a song about cowboys and cowgirls, broncs and bulls and the excitement that surrounds the Wrangler NFR in Vegas every year was a natural for me,” Daniels said.

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During his 30 years of being an integral part of rodeo week in Las Vegas, Daniels has performed all over the city. He attends the rodeo at the Thomas & Mack as frequently as he can, and although he sometimes has to depart a little early for a performance, he enjoys every second of the show.

“I absolutely love rodeo and I believe it’s the ultimate sport, and there’s no doubt to me that the Wrangler NFR is the greatest show on earth,” Daniels said. “This is the best of the best battling for 10 nights in a row. Everything about it is world class, from the pyrotechnics to the grand entry, and watching the cowboys and cowgirls lay it on the line like they do is unbelievable and inspiring.”

As Daniels wrote and sings, “At the NFR … it don’t get no better than that.”

Photo: Tom Donoghue.

By Brian Hurlburt

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NFRBLVD | 39

q&A: Flint Rassmussen

Rolling Out the Barrel with Flint Rasmussen

k Whoever wrote “Beer Barrel Polka” didn’t necessarily have Flint Rasmussen in mind, but some of the lyrics certainly are appropriate in describing the longtime rodeo clown/barrelman.

“Roll out the barrel, we’ll have a barrel of fun.”

Rasmussen first rolled out his barrel at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center in 1998, kicking off an eight-year run. He combined zippy one-liners and nifty dance moves with an uncanny ability to help protect bull riders.

Here’s classic Flint, in his own words: Q: What’s the best thing you’ve ever seen at Wrangler NFR? A: One year, Ty Murray, in one of the later go-rounds, had the option for a re-ride. He still would’ve won fourth in the round, but he did not want that. He took his re-ride, he moved up and ended up winning the world championship by the amount of money he won taking that re-ride. To me, it was old-school. That’s Ty Murray. It was the spirit of competition.

Q: These days, you’re involved in the Wrangler NFR in other ways, most notably hosting your Out-

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side the Barrel daily TV show at Cowboy Christmas. What do you enjoy most about that role?

A: For one, I think people didn’t realize it, but the show utilizes the talents I believe I’ve always had. Growing up, I was in singing groups and starred in school plays. Rodeo clown was my avenue to being an entertainer. With Outside the Barrel, I wanted to introduce contestants to fans in ways that had never been done before. I enjoy the opportunity to be quick-witted, to let people see the real me. You can have that dirt and clown make-up; I’ll take the sport coat and TV cameras!

Q: Curt Blake is your sidekick on the show. But as the Wrangler NFR has grown, other shows have cropped up, too. What are you doing to keep Outside the Barrel a fan favorite?

A: It’s made it harder to get contestants to do a daytime thing. So we’ve reached out to celebrities.

We go get Wayne Newton. We got Jeff Dunham, Charlie Daniels, Terry Fator. We got Luke Perry last year, who played Lane Frost in 8 Seconds. We try to get those people, in addition to contestants, so that the fans say, “That’s a show we need to come to.”

Photo: Steve Spatafore.

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NFRBLVD | 41

Miss Rodeo

Reppin’ Rodeo Katherine Merck fulfilled a lifelong dream by attending the 2015 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Now, she will be a huge part of the event as the reigning Miss Rodeo America.

By Brian Hurlburt

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Katherine Merck always had a good spot on her uncle’s couch in Washington to watch the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. For the Merck clan, rodeo is a family tradition and always will be.

These days, Merck is a lot closer to the action in her role as the reigning Miss Rodeo America, serving as the face of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for 2016, including during Wrangler NFR week. She won the crown during last year’s 10-day competition in Las Vegas.

“It was my dream to just come watch the Wrangler NFR, and now to be a part of it is unbelievable,” said Merck, a native of Spokane, Washington, who is on track to graduate from Gonzaga with a law degree. “Last year when I won, I got to ride a clean lap in the arena for the first time, and it was probably the most amazing moment of my life. I couldn’t get a goofy grin off of my face.

“It was both the longest and shortest minute of my life. The energy was palpable. To ride in there with the energy of the fans and all of the contestants lined up was incredible.”

By the time this year’s Wrangler NFR rolls around, Merck will have done hundreds of interviews, visited dozens of schools and carried the American flag at rodeos across the land, which Merck calls “an amazing honor.” As much fun as she’s had in other rodeo outposts, though, she says she can’t wait to get to Las Vegas.

“I really appreciate how Vegas goes cowboy for 10 days,” Merck said. “And I invite all the fans to come watch the horsemanship competition of our pageant. We are all true cowgirls, and it is free and open to the public.”

The Miss Rodeo America pageant was first held in Las Vegas from 1958-1973 and then returned with the National Finals Rodeo in 1985.

Other than for one year, it has been a part of Wrangler NFR week in Las Vegas ever since.

The pageant and associated events to determine Miss Rodeo America 2017 runs from Nov. 27 – Dec. 4 with the official coronation taking place on the final night at the MGM Grand.

Tickets and specific event information is available at MissRodeoAmerica.com.

Photo: PF Morrow.

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COWBOY CHRISTMAS

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For the Cowboy in Us All

By Matt Jacob

k Since 1986, thousands of fans from around the globe have flocked to Las Vegas each December for the 10-day Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

But they come not just to enjoy the ropin’ and ridin’ inside the Thomas & Mack Center.

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In fact, the sold-out crowds at the Thomas & Mack have actually been dwarfed by the throngs of people attending Cowboy Christmas, the only official gift show of the Wrangler NFR that has run concurrent with the Super Bowl

Photos: Steve Spatafore.

Riding shotgun with the Wrangler NFR every year, Cowboy Christmas offers Western wares, quality entertainment and good old-fashioned family fun.

cowboy christmas

Custom Western lifestyle art, cowboy demos and fan meet-and-greets make Cowboy Christmas the place to be each day.

of Rodeo since it moved to Las Vegas three decades ago. In 2015, a record 216,292 attendees passed through the Las Vegas Convention Center turnstiles—all free of charge—to traverse more than 440,000 square feet of space at the convention center’s South Hall. That toppled the record of 200,179 attendees from the 2014 Cowboy Christmas.

They come each day to browse unique, top-ofthe-line Western products from more than 400 exhibitors, including all manner of apparel, custom-made jewelry, boots and spurs, furniture, original art, handmade crafts, home goods— even farm equipment and trailers. But much more than just a one-stop shop for rodeo wares, Cowboy Christmas also offers food, entertain-

ment on on the Rodeo Live Stage presented by RODEOHOUSTON and interactive exhibits on Rodeo Way presented by Lucas Oil. Cowboy Christmas has become such an integral part of rodeo week in Las Vegas that folks who can’t get their hands on those coveted Wrangler NFR tickets still make their way to Vegas just so they can check out the gift show.

“It’s definitely evolved over the 30-plus years,” says Anne Aznarez, who plays a key role in putting together Cowboy Christmas as the director of show operations and exhibits for Las Vegas Events. “People do come into town simply to shop Cowboy Christmas—they make it part of their vacation. They can find everything they want in one location that they won’t see anywhere else.

NFRBLVD | 45

cowboy christmas “Obviously it works well because it coincides with the Wrangler NFR, but I’m pretty proud of the fact that people do come in specifically for Cowboy Christmas.”

Getting in and out of a show that runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and attracts more than 20,000 daily attendees can be a bit of a logistical challenge. So you’re encouraged to once again take advantage of free shuttles to and from the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Two round-trip shuttles from six locations on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip—the South Point, Orleans, Monte Carlo, Mirage and Treasure Island hotel-casinos, as well as downtown Las Vegas—will operate continuously from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (There will also be a shuttle offered for Wrangler NFR ticketholders from the convention center to the Thomas & Mack.)

In addition to the shuttles, visitors staying in hotels on the east side of the Strip are encouraged to hop on the Las Vegas Monorail, disembarking at the Las Vegas Convention Center stop. You can also access Cowboy Christmas via taxicab or ride-sharing services.

For those who prefer to drive, there will be plenty of parking at the main east and west entrances of the convention center, as well as the new Bronze lot off of Sierra Vista Drive on the convention center’s south side. Parking is $10.

46 | NFRBLVD

So what’s in store for the 31st annual Cowboy Christmas? Here’s your definitive cheat sheet so you can get a jump-start on mapping out a game plan long before you ride into town in December:

Once inside the South Hall, returnees to Cowboy Christmas will notice some changes to the footprint in 2016. To help improve and balance out traffic flow, the aisles will be widened, and the Rodeo Live stage—which had been in the center of the action— is being moved to the east wall, with the Rodeo Way exhibit serving as the backdrop.

Returning once again to the Rodeo Live stage this year will be the popular “Outside the Barrel” show hosted by Flint Rasmussen from noon-1 p.m. daily. That will be followed from 1:15-2 p.m. by “Keepin’ It Country” with singer Daryle Singletary, a new interactive, all-acoustic show featuring Singletary and a rotating cast of guest country-music artists.

For the second consecutive year, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo will take over the second floor of the South Hall through the duration of Cowboy Christmas. Last year, the expo drew 87,000 outdoor enthusiasts, and upgrades this year include more hands-on exhibits, including a live archery range.

Joining the Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo upstairs this year will be the 1,200-seat Wrangler Rodeo Arena, which will host the inaugural Junior NFR. This first-ofits-kind competition will feature youngsters 17 years old and younger competing in events the pros take part in at the Thomas

& Mack, including mini bareback, mini bucking bulls, barrel racing, total team roping, tie-down roping and girls breakaway.

The Junior NFR competitions will take place over two three-day stretches: Friday, December 2 through Sunday, December 4, and Thursday, December 8, through Saturday, December 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Admission to the first two days of each three-day session are free, while the finals on December 4 and December 10 will be $10 for bleacher seating and $20 for VIP seating.

All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the young cowboys and cowgirls competing in the finals. In addition to some cash, the winners of each event will receive their very own Montana Silversmith Junior NFR belt buckle.

So there you have it: shopping, dining, entertainment, hands-on activities, even some live rodeo action—all under one roof. If it seems like a lot to take in all at once, well, that’s why Cowboy Christmas runs for 10 consecutive days.

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RMEF Outdoor Show question, it exceeded our expectations,” said Steve Decker, vice president of marketing for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “A number of our exhibitors had all-time best shows—not just for this convention, but across the industry. Outfitters did really well. The core of our industry was extremely pleased with it.”

Now, Decker and his Elk Foundation peers are working hard to ensure their 2016 event is even better, starting with adding more of a direct connection between the expo and Cowboy Christmas.

“We’re putting what we learned from last year into this year, and we expect continued growth,” Decker said. “We’re working to make the two shows more seamless, so that consumers can more easily make their way around and enjoy all of it.”

Customers can also expect some entertaining and even interactive additions in 2016. To that end, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is working to bring in the Total Archery Challenge, a 3-D indoor archery course, among other activities.

“Folks can test their skills, and we’ll bring in some celebrities as well—cowboys, country artists, hunting-industry celebrities,” Decker said.

“That first weekend of the WNFR is also the NASCAR awards banquet, so we’ll have some of the drivers out there. We’re also looking at additional content like cowboy competitions [and] more fishing elements.”

One thing is for sure: This year will be even better than last year, and last year was very good.

The Great Outdoors Comes Indoors After a successful first year at Cowboy Christmas, the Hunter & Outdoor Expo returns during WNFR week in Las Vegas.

By Patrick Everson

k A record number of fans took in the Hunter &

Outdoor Christmas Expo in 2015, the first year the event fully joined forces with Cowboy Christmas at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Officials from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which operates the Hunter & Outdoor Expo, were over the moon after drawing 87,000 people to its event at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall.

“The first year was a great success. Without

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For more information visit the website: Rmef.org.

Photo: Courtesy of RMEF.

The addition of the RMEF Hunter and Outdoor Expo to Cowboy Christmas has been a perfect match.

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JUNIOR NFR

Building Future Legends The Junior National Finals Rodeo is bigger than ever in 2016.

k Each year, the Wrangler National Finals Ro-

deo showcases the very best of the best in seven events: bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding. But the reason the field of around 120 is so solid is because of the support these contestants received while riding, roping and wrestling their way up through the ranks.

Las Vegas Events, which along with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association operates the Wrangler NFR, has recognized the need to broaden support for the sport’s youth. This year’s ancillary events will therefore include the inaugural Junior National Finals Rodeo, on Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 8-10.

The competition will take place in the Wrangler Rodeo Arena at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Hunter & Outdoor Expo, on the second floor of the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“We’ve been doing mini bull riding for three years, and last year we did mini bareback and tiedown,” said Bo Gardner, vice president of corporate marketing for Las Vegas Events. “With the feedback we got from families and fans, we said, ‘Let’s grow this.’ We wanted to get more events

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included in the arena.”

So along with aforementioned competitions, there will also be barrel racing, team roping and 13-under girls breakaway. Contestants, chosen based on results from rodeos throughout the summer, will go through two days of qualifying rounds in each of the three-day sessions, and those who advance will compete in the finals on the third day.

Admission for qualifying rounds is free, with finals tickets priced at $10 for bleacher seats and $20 for VIP seats. All those funds will go into the prize pots for each event, supplemented by prize money from promoters of each event.

It’s a great opportunity for the young contestants, to be sure, but it also presents great opportunities for growth. Gardner said fans, competitors and sponsors will support the growth in a big way.

This year, each junior champion will receive a gold buckle from Montana Silversmiths, which also makes the buckles for the PRCA champs.

“These companies involved in the Western lifestyle, they want to get involved with the youth of rodeo,” Gardner said. “We have the PRCA’s support.

They understand that the youth of today will be our champions tomorrow. This could really grow.”

Photo: Steve Spatafore.

By Patrick Everson

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Team Roping Heaven The mega-lucrative World Series of Team Roping rides alongside NFR during Rodeo Week in Las Vegas and has grown exponentially.

By Matt Jacob

k

For 10 days every December, Las Vegas becomes cowboy and cowgirl central for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. But the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Super Bowl is hardly the only big game in town.

Just around the corner from the Wrangler NFR’s longtime home of the Thomas & Mack Center, the World Series of Team Roping has hosted its championship events for the past decade in the South Point Equestrian Center at the South Point Hotel Casino.

Last year, 3,800 team ropers of varying skill levels competed for a total of $10.5 million in prize money.

In fact, the World Series of Team Roping is the second richest equestrian event in the world, ranking only behind horse racing’s Breeders’ Cup. So each December Las Vegas is the home to two of the

52 | NFRBLVD

biggest and baddest equestrian events.

Founder and organizer Denny Gentry says after a slow inaugural year, his event exploded, doubling in size annually for several years, with the growth rate recently setting at about 20 percent. Having reached near capacity in its 10th year in 2015, Gentry says he expects about 4,000 participants for the 2016 World Series, scheduled for December 4-11.

“The World Series of Team Roping started out with us coat-tailing the Wrangler NFR, but it’s really turned into a symbiotic type of situation,” Gentry says. “We’ve started to measure how many people are coming in for our event, and of course they’re buying three, four, five nights of tickets for the Wrangler NFR. So it’s hard to tell where one begins and one ends anymore.”

Gentry says team roping is the largest recreational horse competition in the world. He likens it to golf in that virtually anyone who can mount a horse and find a partner can give team roping a whirl.

As with golf, though, individual success varies greatly in team roping, which is why the WSTR relies on a handicapping system to place competitors in divisions appropriate to their skill level.

Those divisions range from beginner all the way up to pro-am, where professionals who failed to meet the Top 15 qualifying criteria for the NFR can take part in the WSTR. The WSTR conducts 144 qualifying events across the United States throughout the year, with the top finishers in each division earning a trip to Las Vegas to compete for big money—last year, Gentry says one mid-level division paid out a total of $2.5 million.

“It’s a special time in Vegas,” Gentry says of the Wrangler NFR overlapping with the WSTR. “You’re talking about a 10-day period when $20 million changes hands within our industry. It’s absolutely electric.”

For more information The World Series of Team Roping is Dec. 4-11 at the South Point Equestrian Center and is free to the public. For more information, visit WSTRoping.com.

Photo: Courtesy of World Series of Team Roping.

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Boyd Gaming Chute-Out

Rodeo All Day The interactive Boyd Gaming Chute-Out returns for its second year during the Wrangler NFR Dec. 8-10 at The Orleans Arena.

By Brian Hurlburt

ily to the award-winning Orleans Arena to enjoy The Boyd Gaming Chute‑Out features past great rodeo action. world champions and other stars not eligible for The Boyd Gaming Chute-Out app returns again the Wrangler NFR and is rodeo’s newest event. in 2016 with exclusive videos, real-time interacThe action is typical of Las Vegas: interactive, intion with the riders and live scoring results and tense and extraordinary. other surprises.

Once again, top rodeo talent will compete for “We’ve worked to make the Chute-Out experia total purse of $200,000 in your favorite events ence unique in other ways as well,” Ferrando said. including bareback, steer wrestling, team rop“With our Chute-Out mobile app, we provide a ing, saddle bronc, tie-down roping, barrel racone-of-a-kind digital day sheet that’s updated afing and bull riding in early December at the Orter each event, current information on our comleans Arena. petitors, and options for purchasing tickets. And In 2015, the event featured world champion if you’re looking to bet on rodeo during Rodeo riders and ropers such as Cody Ohl, Fred WhitWeek, we’re the only game in town, with full lines field, JW Harris, Cody Wright and more. Also, the on Chute-Out events at all of our Las Vegas sports event is held in the daytime and designed to not books. But we’re not done. On December 8-10, conflict with the official Wrangler NFR action.

2016, we’ll be providing a couple of new reasons “With the Boyd Gaming Chute-Out, Boyd why the Boyd Gaming Chute-Out rodeo is Ridin’ Gaming is providing another great entertainment For the Fans!” option during Rodeo Week for Las Vegas visitors Legendary rodeo announcer and Chute-Out and locals alike,” Jackie Ferrando, Boyd Gaming ambassador Bob Tallman director, event marketing summed up the new Chutesaid. “Our competitors, Out recently: “This is a hot, announcers and stock are Boyd Gaming Chute-Out ticket powerhouse type of perfortalented athletes and proand hotel packages mance and The Orleans Arefessionals, and with reaare on sale and can be purchased at na is a magical place and this sonable ticket prices, fans BoydGamingEvents.com. is a great way to rodeo.” can bring their entire fam-

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The Doctor Is In Dr. Garth Lamb is prepared for the worst, but usually sees the best as the official vet of the Wrangler NFR.

By Patrick Everson

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k The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo has all kinds of contestants, all kinds of fans and all kinds of events surrounding the annual Super Bowl of rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Oh, and there’s all kinds of animals, too— more than 500, to be exact. And ever since 1985, when the Wrangler NFR had its first 10day run in Las Vegas, it’s been Dr. Garth Lamb’s job to oversee the care of all that livestock.

“I’m responsible for anything that goes in that arena,” Lamb said, noting that the Wrangler NFR livestock begin arriving on Thanksgiving Day, a week before the rodeo begins.

“As soon as that starts happening, I’m on duty. There are 200 bucking horses, 100 bucking bulls, 75 roping calves, 60 steer-wrestling steers, 60 team-roping steers.”

Throw in 15 horses used by workers in charge of the livestock, and another 40 to 60 horses needed for the nightly Grand Entry— for those roughstock contestants who don’t travel with their own horse—and Lamb is in charge of roughly 550 head of livestock.

It’s a big responsibility for sure, but one that’s not too daunting for Lamb. His day job is as a veterinarian at the Desert Pines Equine Medical & Surgical Center in Las Vegas, and he’s long had an affinity for rodeo.

“I’ve been a big fan all my life. I enjoy taking care of the animals if they need some help,” said Lamb, who takes great pride in how he and his crew handle any animal emergencies during the 10-day rodeo. “If anything happens, it needs to be handled quickly. We sit behind chute No. 7 and can be in the arena in 10-15 seconds. Everybody’s got their job, and it happens rapidly.”

Fortunately, such emergencies have been quite rare throughout the Wrangler NFR’s 31 years at the Thomas & Mack. That often makes the rodeo slow business for Lamb, and he’s perfectly fine with that.

“The less we have to treat, the better we like it,” he said. “It usually goes pretty well, knock on wood. We see very few serious injuries. We plan for the worst, hope for the best.

And we get a lot more of the best.”

Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Garth Lamb.

Rodeo veterinarian

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In addition to a small group of traveling doctors and certified athletic trainers, Justin Sportsmedicine partners with physicians and trainers in the cities and towns where rodeos are held.

Having been associated with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo since the program’s inception, Justin Sportsmedicine has proven to be a critical—albeit somewhat invisible—contributor to the success of the Wrangler NFR. From injury prevention to evaluation to actual patchwork, the rotating team of expert trainers have helped the world’s top rodeo athletes maintain their health so they can reach the Justin Sportsmedicine Team pinnacle of their sport.

Needless to say, those cowboys and cowgirls are travels the country—including to extremely grateful. the Wrangler NFR—to patch up “This is a volunteer For more information thing for a lot of the broken down cowboys, cowgirls. on the Justin physicians, but what Sportsmedicine Team,

By Matt Jacob keeps most of the folks visit JustinSportsmedicine.com. coming back is the fact these are probably the k There’s an old adage that says there are no guar- most appreciative athletes you’ll come across,” antees in rodeo, and it’s accurate in the sense that says Dr. Tandy Freeman, who has attended evdrawing a particularly feisty bull, bronc or calf can ery Wrangler NFR since 1995 and has served as send a cowboy or cowgirl home without a paycheck. medical director for Justin Sportsmedicine since However, there’s a bit of a loophole in that ad2009. “For the most part, rodeo athletes—men age, because there is actually one absolute cerand women—always say thank you and don’t have tainty in rodeo: If you choose to dabble in the man the same sense of entitlement you see in other vs. beast game, it’s a stone-cold lock that you’ll sports. They may test your patience sometimes eventually suffer an injury. in terms of their compliance with doctors’ orders, Enter the Justin Sportsmedicine Team. but they’re never angry and you’re never in an argument with them. Their goals are your goals; it’s Founded in 1980 by Dr. J Pat Evans and Don Anjust that sometimes they want to get there faster. drews, Justin Sportsmedicine is a mobile sports But they’re always thankful.” medicine system that provides top-notch medi-

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Healing Powers

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Fan spotlights For the Aberg family and Donna McSpadden, rodeo is a love of a lifetime.

By Patrick Everson

60 | NFRBLVD

TOP: The Aberg family and friends bus; LEFT: Clem and Donna McSpadden.

Donna McSpadden The town of Chelsea, Okla., oozes Western culture. Even Will Rogers and Gene Autry have ties to the whistle-stop in northeastern Oklahoma.

“If you weren’t of the West or for the West, you may as well have not grown up here,” said Donna McSpadden, who proudly calls Chelsea home. “And rodeo is in our blood.”

It’s in McSpadden’s blood more than just about any other person on the planet. Her late husband, Clem McSpadden, was the grandnephew of the aforementioned Rogers and for decades held many key roles in the rodeo world, including as an accomplished announcer and general manager of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The McSpaddens’ history with the WNFR dates to the event’s humble beginnings in 1959.

“When the NFR started in Dallas, way back then, my husband was the alternate announcer,” McSpadden said of Clem McSpadden, who died in 2008 at age 82. “When the NFR moved to Oklahoma City in 1965, he became the general manager. We were also ticket buyers, and when it moved to Las Vegas, we kept buying tickets.”

Indeed, Donna McSpadden says she’s had a fourseat package of plaza tickets ever since the NFR relocated to the Thomas & Mack Center in 1985. She was also among a group of women who started the WNFR Ladies Day Style Show, as she relishes the action both on and off the dirt.

“It’s kind of like Christmas. You’re going to the NFR, and you’re going to celebrate,” she said. “Rodeo is the calling card for us. The performance itself, the competition—I love the showmanship.”

Photos: Courtesy of Aberg and McSpadden families.

The Aberg Family It’s one thing for fans to fly to Las Vegas to attend the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It’s another thing to drive.

But it requires an altogether different level of commitment to trek more than 1,000 miles over the course of two days aboard a bus. Yet Charlene Aberg and her crew, who have been making the Montana-toVegas journey for 27 years, wouldn’t have it any other way.

It all started in 1988, when Aberg’s brother, Casey Cox, qualified for the Wrangler NFR in team roping alongside Speed Williams. The family took two vehicles from Cut Bank, Mont., to Las Vegas, but Aberg’s father, Connie Cox, found it difficult to keep everybody together.

“In 1990, he started a bus trip, and a couple years later, I took over,” Aberg said. “My dad has still always been involved. He made the contacts to get the rodeo tickets. We just kept the process going.”

Each year about 50 people—mostly from Montana, with some from Canada—fill the bus. Some years there’s even a wait-list. The journey begins from Great Falls, Mont., with a first-night stop in Jackpot, on the Idaho-Nevada border.

“We play a lot of card games, with a table set up in the back,” Aberg said. “By the time we’ve finished the whole trip, you feel like you’re part of a family, even if you only get together once a year.”

After three nights of rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center and time spent milling around Cowboy Christmas, NFR After-Dark events and such, it’s back on the bus for the haul home on Friday.

“I sent out this year’s [sign-up] flyer at the beginning of May, and it filled up almost immediately,” Aberg said. “All but four were repeats.”

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Home Sweet Home of WNFR

Viva Las Vegas!

17,500: Approximate number of rodeo fans who can fit into the Thomas & Mack Center for each night 300: Consecutive sell-outs at the Thomas and Mack for WNFR $72.5 million: Total spent on the Thomas & Mack Center renovation 98: Number of ADA seats, up from 26, making the WNFR much more accessible 36,000: Square feet of the plaza addition on the northwest side of the T&M, a space that will be called “The ‘Shoe” during the WNFR 2,500: Square feet of glass-enclosed balcony within The Shoe, with views of the Strip 75,000: The number of beers consumed each year during the Wrangler NFR 2,000 tons: Amount of dirt used for the arena and stalls outside the Thomas & Mack Center

227,000: Total number of seats available in Las Vegas in all arenas, showrooms and concert venues 100: About the total number of different concert, sporting, entertainment venues in Las Vegas 53,067: Total number of rooms in Las Vegas in 1985 149,262: The current number of rooms in Las Vegas

The Rodeo 1985: The WNFR’s first year in Las Vegas 400,000: Approximate number of rodeo fans who come to Las Vegas over the course for WNFR $1.8 million: The contestant purse in 1985 $10 million: The current contestant purse 590,000: The total number of Facebook Followers for the Official NFR Experience 110: The number of hours it takes Montana Silversmiths to complete the design on the Wrangler NFR World Champion’s Gold Buckle $9,000: The payment per head made to stock contractors for the livestock they bring to the Wrangler NFR 1996: The year that the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo began making available a live satellite feed to local hotels 40-plus: Number of hotel-casinos that now carry the nightly Wrangler NFR satellite feed

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Much More than a Rodeo 216,292: Record attendance of Cowboy Christmas in 2015 450,000: Total square feet of Cowboy Christmas in 2015 315: Total Cowboy Christmas exhibitors Infinity: Amount of fun to be had at Cowboy Christmas and RMEF Hunter & Outdoor Expo 900,000: Square feet occupied by the combination of Cowboy Christmas and the RMEF Hunter & Outdoor Expo 86,940: People who attended the 2015 RMEF Hunter & Outdoor Expo, a record for the event 1: Ranking of hunting/camping/fishing as pastimes by WNFR attendees 4: Number of days the Hunter & Outdoor Expo was part of Cowboy Christmas in 2014, in a trial run of combining the two shows during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 2015: When the Hunter & Outdoor Expo expanded to cover all 10 days of the WNFR

Much More than a Clown 19: Age at which Flint Rasmussen first appeared as a rodeo clown 30: Age at which Flint Rasmussen made his first WNFR appearance, in 1998 8: Years that Rasmussen was named barrel man for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (1998-2005) 7: Times that Rasmussen won the Coors Man in the Can honor

The west gets wild.

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world of rodeo reunion

Golden Moments

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The event that gathers the most rodeo royalty together in one spot—other than the actual performances—is the annual World of Rodeo Reunion scheduled this year for Dec. 8-10 at The Orleans. And it is open to the fans.

The 3rd Annual World of Rodeo Reunion brings together an amazing and nearly countless grouping of the all-time greats of Pro Rodeo, the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, the Circuit System, National Senior Pro Rodeo Association, the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, National Collegiate Rodeo Association and The National High School Rodeo Association.

Scheduled to attend this year are Pro Rodeo Hall of Famers Larry Mahan, Roy Cooper, Cotton Rosser, Dean Oliver, Deb Copenhaver, Sharon Shoulders, Bill Smith, Bob Ragsdale and John McBeth along with poet Red Steagall, rodeo clown Flint Rasmussen and country western star Moe Bandy.

“Everyone had such a great time at the reunion last year, and this year’s event is shaping up to be even bigger and better with all of the new activities over three days,” organizer Larry Jordan said. “You won’t find another gathering of the sport of rodeo and western heritage with as many big names from the world of country music, movie actors, rodeo cowboys and cowgirls all

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interacting with rodeo fans. Last year’s event was a tremendous success with more than 650 people attending and this year we are expecting close to 1000 people in our new facilities at The Orleans.”

The reunion kicks off on Thursday, Dec. 8, with registration and meet and greets and the chance to take photos with the legends. A private Gold Card function will also be held for Gold Card holders only at the Thomas & Mack Center.

On Friday, December 9, several honors will be presented at a luncheon and auction. The 2016 honorees include the top 25 Foundation Rodeo Families, all National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and a special photo session for 1959 National Finals Rodeo qualifiers.

The auction will feature include Gold Buckle tickets for Friday night, Buffalo Head Mount, a .45 pistol, a bear trap, original western oil paintings, Navajo rugs, stallion breedings, a special triple oil painting of Casey Tibbs, Jim Shoulders and Larry Mahan. The painting is also autographed by the legends.

A special breakfast concludes the reunion on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Anyone interested in attending should contact Larry Jordan at 406-223-6503 for more information.

Photo: Courtesy of Larry Jordan.

The 3rd Annual World of Rodeo Reunion and Gold Card gathering will bring together legends of rodeo.

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