2018 PRCA Media Guide

2017 Wrangler NFR Specialty Acts

Tomas Garcilazo On and off for nearly 15 years, Tomas Garcilazo has graced the Thomas & Mack Center as a specialty act during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and said he’s enjoyed every second of it. “It’s been an honor to be a part of the Super Bowl of rodeos,”Garcilazo said. Garcilazo was first noticed by NFR general manager Shawn Davis in Paris, France when the now 51-year-old was first building his career. Davis asked Garcilazo if he would be interested in performing as an opening act at the biggest rodeo in the world and he quickly said, ‘Yes.’

Now, Garcilazo’s mastering of“La Charreria”, the generational sport passed down only by world class horse trainers and ropers known as“Charros,”has become a fixture during December in Las Vegas. “It’s passion – what I do for a living, with my horses and my skills, and to present in front of a crowd as an act,” he said. La Charreria derives from the Mexican perspective of horse handling and can only be performed by those with the title of Charro. Garcilazo, a native of Mexico City, believes that his act is important to keeping the spirit of long-lived Mexican culture at the forefront of Western lifestyle enthusiasts. “I’m trying to preserve the roots of rodeo,” he said. “For me, with modern-day technology and everything like that, you have to keep up in telling or showing (La Charreria). In future generations like with my son, we don’t want to lose this. Without cattle, horses or roping, there wouldn’t be a rodeo. I’m very blessed to have my space in the sport of rodeo.” Garcilazo is a third-generation Charro who’s gone on to win PRCA Dress Act of the Year three times. He performed at the White House in 2015; his horsemanship has mesmerized the gaze of onlookers from North America and across Europe. In addition, Garcilazo has made appearances on Broadway in New York City, and is one of the most respected Charros in the world. Garcilazo said he views his role at the NFR as an opportunity to excel at the grandest of stages. “There are so many Charros and Mexican people that ride,” he said. “But you try to polish a lot of the details that you bring to the plate in the best way you can. That’s my mission.”

628

SPECIALTY ACTS