The National Finals Rodeo otherwise known as the “Super Bowl of Rodeo”.

Image by NFR Experience

What is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) ?

The NFR is the championship rodeo of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Taking place annually throughout the first full week of December at the Thomas & Mack Center in Nevada, Las Vegas. The event highlights the talents and dedication of the PRCA’s top 15 competitors for each rodeo event including bull riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and steer wrestling as they compete for the world title.

The competitors must earn their spot at the NFR through qualifying, which includes winning the season title during regular rodeo season. It is the grand finale of the rodeo year. The event showcases the rich culture and traditions of rodeo, along with having a competitive spirit from the participants. The NFR atmosphere is filled with excitements and adrenaline, it has live entertainments, vendor exhibits and sense of community.

Events within the NFR

There are seven events and nine championships sanctioned by the PRCA.

  • Bareback Riding – the rider must stay on a bucking horse for eight seconds with only the support of their “rigging” which is attached by a cinch and latigos. The riders goal is to complete a 8 second ride while maintaining control of themselves while the horses bucking, jumping etc, and then is judged out of 100 points. The better control and movement preformed by the horse and rider the higher the score. Bareback riding is one of the most challenging events that highlights both rider and horse skill and strength.
  • Steer Wrestling – other wise known as “Bulldogging”, this event has two participants, one participants job is to stay beside the steer to make sure it doesn’t go astray, where as the other (contestant/main rider) will jump/lean off his horse grabbing onto a steers horns and “wrestle” it to the ground. The winner of this event is the contestant who wrestles the steer to the ground the fastest.
  • Team Roping – this is the only professional team event in the rodeo. There are two riders on horseback, one is called a “header”, the other called a “heeler”, these riders chase and restrain a full-grown steer. The header ropes the steers horns and pulls the steer so that the heeler is able to rope the steers two hind legs. Once roped successfully, the riders pull the steer between them to make sure the rope is taut. Again, this is a timed event and the fastest team wins. This event originated through the methods of roping and retraining the steer while on the ranch.
  • Saddle Bronc Riding – similar to bareback riding, the rider must ride a horse for 8 full seconds although they use a saddle without a horn and a bronc rein to support them. The same rules apply between bareback bronc riding and saddle bronc riding, they also have the same judging system, where the best control taken into consideration.
  • Tie-Down Roping – like team roping, this event is also based off of ranch work where calves are roped for branding, veterinarian appointments and more. This event is the oldest / longest running timed event within the rodeo. The rider will follow a calf out of the chute, where they rope the running calf around its neck, then the horse will stop and holds the roper taut as the rider dismounts, runs to the calf and then throws calf to the ground where the rider ties three feet together. In all events the animals and riders have purpose although in this event the horse and rider work as a team to succeed.
  • Barrel Racing – another timed speed event within the rodeo, this event the rider and horse work as a team to complete a clover leaf pattern around three barrels. Horses and rider must make agile turns without knocking the barrels. This event is exclusively a women’s sport although males occasionally compete in certain rodeos. The contestant with the fastest time throughout the pattern with the least amount of faults wins.
  • Bull Riding – this event is another bucking animal event, riders attempt to ride an adult bucking bull for 8 seconds. The same rules and judging system from the bucking horse categories apply to bull riding. The harder the bull is to ride and the more control that the rider has throughout the 8 seconds will get a higher score. Although this event has the same rules and system it is quite different from the bucking horse events, the skills and equipment differ in a sense but the overall difference is the danger involved. Bulls have a fight response, which means once the rider has fallen they more likely to get injured by the bull after the ride. Bull fighters and occasional rodeo clowns work to distract the bull during and after the ride to prevent injuries or “attacks” from the bull.
  • All – Around – this is not an event whereas it is an world title award. This is given to the contestant who has earned / won the highest amount of money is two or more events. This is often why rodeo participants ride in multiple events.

The Animal Athletes within the NFR

The animals in the NFR are just as much athletes as the contestants. Like the contestants, the animals must qualify for the competitions. In the events like bronc riding and bull riding, the stock contribute half of the total score. The NFR showcases the animals talents just as much as the riders. In order for the stock to be selected for the NFR, they are judged as soon as rodeo season starts, by the time that season has ended, many have already completed the qualifications needed for the competition. Like the riders, the bucking animals are able to win money and awards.

The stock contractor is a person or company that supplies the bucking stock to rodeos, their job is to breed, raise and train the animals and are responsible for making them suitable for competition. For many, their goal is to have their bucking animal selected for the NFR, which is a huge honour. In order to qualify, the animal must have competed on a minimum of eight times at PRCA events which gives the contractors the opportunity to nominate their best horses and bulls. These nominations must be submitted by September 1st, where the event directors review, and create a list of 100 animals that give the riders the best opportunities. The NFR General Manager of Production and the PRCA Administration review the final selection before the official stock rosters is published.

In the other events like barrel racing and roping, the horse and rider work as a team to complete their goals. The horses are also breed, raised and trained for their jobs as a rope or barrel horse. The riders and horses work their way up in the rodeo world. You may be a great roper but if your horse doesn’t know what he/she is doing, you likely won’t get the job done. Like the bucking stock, the horses are there to do their job and make their owner look good.

The animals are highly respected in the rodeo world. The animals go through training and practice just like the competitors. With more than 700 head of livestock, including 310 head of bucking stock, 75 calves and 120 steers for roping, 90 contestant horses and 50 horses who participate in grand entry, the NFR would not be possible without these animal athletes.

Image by Frontier Rodeo Company
Image by ProRodeo

Sources

Experience, NFR. “The Official NFR Experience.” NFR Experience, www.nfrexperience.com/.

“National Finals Rodeo.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Sept. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Finals_Rodeo. 

“National Finals Rodeo.” Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS, www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=NA008.

Schrock, Katie. “What Does It Take to Qualify for the National Finals Rodeo?” That Western Life, That Western Life, 31 Dec. 2022, www.thatwesternlife.com/podcast/episode108.