Junior NFR Inside the Wrangler Rodeo Arena at Cowboy Christmas Expands to Ten Straight Days of Competition
Wrangler Rodeo Arena, one of the six main interactive features of Cowboy Christmas, will host more than 590 youth contestants in the Junior NFR presented by YETI vying for championships in eight events. The Junior NFR will run concurrently with Cowboy Christmas and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Dec. 7 – 16.
Additional events to be held in the Wrangler Arena include Exceptional Rodeo presented by NV Energy on Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. PT and the Flag Girl Competition on Dec. 12 at 12:30 p.m. PT. In addition, the return of the Priefert Platform allows fans to watch the action from a raised VIP area overlooking the arena, with limited front-row seats on the rail.
Free to the public, Cowboy Christmas will be open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Wrangler Rodeo Arena is located on the second floor of the South Halls within the footprint of RMEF’s Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo and adjacent to Cowboy Christmas Too.
Wrangler Rodeo Arena, which boasts a seating capacity of more than 1,100, will host a variety of events and competitions. The Junior NFR presented by YETI will feature contestants 19-years-old and younger competing in many of the events the pros take part in at the Thomas & Mack Center, including Bull Riding, Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Junior Steer Wrestling, Girls and Boys Breakaway, Team Roping, Tie-Down Roping and Barrel Racing.
For more information on the Wrangler NFR, Cowboy Christmas and a complete Junior NFR presented by YETI schedule, visit www.NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR.
General admission to the qualifiers is free, while the rough stock finals on Dec. 11 and timed-event finals on Dec. 16 will be $10 for general admission. Access to the Priefert Platform will be $20 all ten days of competition. All proceeds will become “added money” for each rodeo event.
In addition to Wrangler Rodeo Arena, Cowboy Christmas will include the following main anchor displays and programming elements:
- Rodeo Live presented by RODEOHOUSTON – Daily features include Flint Rasmussen with his popular show, “Outside the Barrel,” RFD-TV’s Western Sports Roundup, Keepin’ it Country with Daryle Singletary and the newest addition in 2017 – Rodeo Recess with host Andy Seiler;
- Coors Rodeo Saloon – Every great “rodeo” needs a saloon. Located near the east end of Cowboy Christmas, the Saloon features food vendors and video screens with a replay of the prior night’s Wrangler NFR performance;
- Rodeo Way – This “Old West” setting features eight interactive industry and rodeo exhibits located at the east entrance of Cowboy Christmas;
- NFR Social Lounge – This area will feature radio remotes, contestant and musician autograph sessions, giveaways and more;
- Great Wall of Rodeo presented by Calgary Stampede – This fan favorite features a graphic of all Wrangler NFR contestants and other interactive elements.
Gold, Silver and Bronze buckle level sponsors include Bex, Bloomer Trailers, Boot Barn, Browning, B&W Trailer Hitches, Calgary Stampede, Coors, Heel-O-Matic, Hesston by Massey Ferguson, Hooey, Impact Gel, NV Energy, Nevada State Bank, Pendleton Whisky, Priefert, PrimeSport, Purina, Pro Fantasy Rodeo, Ram Rodeo, RFD-TV, RODEOHOUSTON, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, Total Feeds, Inc., Wrangler and YETI.
Cowboy Christmas brought record crowds to the Las Vegas Convention Center over the ten days in 2016. Total attendance reached 231,517, surpassing the previous record attendance of 216,292 set in 2015.
Sold out for more than 300 consecutive performances, 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. Under the new contract with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association that runs through 2024, the purse in 2017 is $10 million. Qualification is based on the 2017 PRCA World Standings.
For more information on the Wrangler NFR, Cowboy Christmas and a complete Junior NFR presented by YETI schedule, visit www.NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR.
General admission to the qualifiers is free, while the rough stock finals on Dec. 11 and timed-event finals on Dec. 16 will be $10 for general admission. Access to the Priefert Platform will be $20 all ten days of competition. All proceeds will become “added money” for each rodeo event.