The World Standings are a courtesy of the PRCA and WPRA.
Courtesy of NFR Experience
3rd Annual Vegas NFR Icons Tribute Reception to Honor Joe Beaver, Rich Skelton and Speed Williams
Las Vegas Events announced today that the 3rd Annual Vegas NFR Icons Tribute Reception will be held inside the Cowboy Corral on Friday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. prior to the start of that night’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo performance. The reception will honor Joe Beaver, Rich Skelton and Speed Williams.
There will be a VIP section set up for family and sponsors inside Cowboy Corral, located adjacent to the Thomas & Mack Center. Those planning to attend that evening will also be able to access the area with a ticket to the Wrangler NFR for that evening’s performance. Following the reception, Old Hickory will take to the stage to provide a live musical set prior to the start of the 5:45 p.m. rodeo performance.
Hailing from Victoria, Texas, Beaver grew up dreaming of becoming a cowboy. He started roping at the age of five and never stopped. In 1985 at the age of 20, Beaver won the PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year award and entered the NFR in Las Vegas as the youngest tie-down roper. After 10 days of intense competition, he left Las Vegas with his first world title and the Thomas & Mack Center became known as “the house that Joe built.” Beaver would return to Las Vegas to collect four additional world tie-down roping titles and three world all-around titles. When injuries forced him out of competition for most of 1999, Beaver still made the trip to the NFR – this time as a television commentator for ESPN. He returned in 2000 to win his third and final all-around title. He was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2002. He continues to conduct clinics teaching young ropers how to compete and serve as a commentator, sharing his expertise and humor.
Williams and Skelton put on a team roping performance as partners from 1997 until 2004 that may never be matched again in Las Vegas. During that time, the duo racked up eight straight World Championships and also won the average in 2001. In 1999, the pair won six go-rounds at the NFR. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Fla., Williams started roping at an early age and made his first NFR appearance in 1988 heeling with Casey Cox. After that experience he went home and switched to heading. He is credited with starting a new style of swinging the rope in the box, and his style of catching lowered his times and won money. Skelton, from Electra, Texas, made his first NFR appearance in 1990 heeling with Tee Woolman. When Woolman decided to cut back his schedule in late 1997, he joined with Williams. The duo would go on to take 64 victory laps between them at the Thomas & Mack Center. Williams won 28 go-rounds in Las Vegas in his career and Skelton won 36.
Following the reception, there will be additional activities to honor their celebrated careers. During the Dec. 6 and 7 performances of the Wrangler NFR, each of the rodeo champions will be honored on the hallowed dirt of the Thomas & Mack Center. The presentation will include each receiving a 14” commemorative bronze statue and a ceremony to unfurl a banner in the rafters at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The in-arena schedule for the icons is as follows:
Friday, Dec. 6 – Speed Williams and Rich Skelton
Saturday, Dec. 7 – Joe Beaver
In addition, LVE will develop a promotional campaign to promote the three legends and build a daily activation calendar to build anticipation for the ceremony inside Cowboy Corral that evening, including visits to The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Known as the richest and most prestigious rodeo in the world, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding to compete for a share of the increased purse and the coveted PRCA Gold Buckle. In 2023, the event had a total attendance of 157,580 over the nine fully-attended rounds of competition at the Thomas & Mack Center and has sold out 359 consecutive performances in Las Vegas.
For more information on the Wrangler NFR, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at @LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest ProRodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit prorodeo.com or through social media @PRCA_ProRodeo.
Contract Personnel Announced for Wrangler NFR
Courtesy of the PRCA
The contract personnel for the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge were announced Tuesday by the PRCA.
The announcers at the 2024 Wrangler NFR will be Randy Corley, Roger Mooney, and Wayne Brooks. The NFR is Dec. 5-14 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Corley, who was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017, will be making his 24th NFR appearance, while it will be the eighth appearance at the NFR for Mooney. Brooks is making his 12th appearance at the NFR.
Livestock superintendent John Barnes makes his 19th consecutive Wrangler NFR appearance. The assistant livestock superintendent is Terry Autrey. Raina Hudson is the saddle horse boss.
The chute bosses are Tony Amaral (timed events) and Tom Neuens (roughstock).
Sunni Deb Backstrom, who was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2021, is the NFR secretary, marking the 19th year in a row she has been selected. Courtney Morehead is the assistant secretary.
Timers are Nancy Dorenkamp, Michelle Corley, who is making her second appearance and Kris Fleener.
Josh Hilton is the music director, and the assistant music director is Brad Narducci.
The specialty acts are Tomas Garcilazo, Madison MacDonald and Haley Proctor.
Road To The Wrangler NFR – Week of September 16
Complimentary ‘Shuttle Bus Service’ Available for the ‘National Finals Rodeo’
LAS VEGAS – Rodeo fans looking for transportation to and from the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will have the option to utilize the complimentary shuttle bus service – the NFR Express – with routes from the Las Vegas Convention Center and NFR official host hotels on the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown to the Thomas & Mack Center.
From Thursday, Dec. 7 through Saturday, Dec. 16, shuttle buses will pick up at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas located at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This one-way route will run from the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall directly to the Thomas & Mack Center.
Also beginning on Dec. 7, the NFR Express will begin complimentary routes to and from the NFR sponsor hotels. There are now 14 routes, covering 26 hotel properties.
“The NFR Express continues to be the most efficient option to get to the Thomas & Mack Center,” said Tim Keener, president of Las Vegas Events. “In addition to the routes that service our hotel partners, there is a one-way shuttle that allows fans to move from The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas to the arena. With the increased traffic and parking congestion around the Thomas & Mack Center, we encourage fans to consider this complimentary mode of transportation.”
In 2023, all Wrangler NFR performances begin at 5:45 p.m. (PT). NFR Express will begin pick-ups at 4 p.m. (PT) and include return service until 9:45 p.m. (PT). There is no shuttle bus service during the actual rodeo performance from 6 p.m. through 8:15 p.m.
Rodeo fans are urged to utilize the NFR Express for round-trip transportation. In addition, fans are asked to allow approximately 15 minutes for traffic conditions from each hotel pick-up point. The NFR Express routes and pick-up points are as follows:
Route 1 – One-Way Express Shuttle
The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas – Las Vegas Convention Center, South Halls (West Entrance)
Route 2
MGM Grand – Northwest corner of Guest Parking garage
Tropicana – North entrance
Route 3
Sam’s Town – Rear entrance (behind the food court)
Route 4
Mandalay Bay – Shark Reef entrance
New York-New York – Main entrance
Route 5
STRAT – West entrance
Westgate – East Tower entrance
Route 6
The Orleans – Valet entrance
Route 7
Gold Coast – Valet entrance
Palms – Front entrance
Rio – Convention Center Circle Drive
Route 8
Circa – Garage Mahal
Golden Nugget – Carson Tower entrance
Plaza – Welcome Sign (Main St. & Carson Ave.)
Route 9
The D – Valet entrance on Carson Ave.
Downtown Grand – Valet entrance
Route 10
Caesars Palace – Augustus Tower entrance
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Bus area at main entrance
Route 11
The Mirage – North valet entrance
Treasure Island (TI) – Bus loading zone (near the South Valet)
Route 12
Resorts World – Rideshare Lot adjacent to main entrance
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas – Main entrance (after porte cochere)
Route 13
Flamingo – Tour Bus area
Horseshoe – North entrance
Route 14
Silverton – Main entrance
South Point – Main entrance
For more information on the Wrangler NFR and The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest ProRodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit wnfrlive.com or through social media at @PRCA_ProRodeo.
Courtesy of NFRExperience.com