PRORODEO Sports News - March 21, 2025

WEEKEND WARRIORS

Clovis Crane is no stranger to weekly rodeos in the First Frontier Circuit. ( PRCA Photo by Andre Silva )

First Frontier Circuit showcases cowboy culture in Northeastern U.S.

BY ALEX DODD

THE CROWDS AT rodeos in the First Frontier Circuit may have a different feel, but the cowboy spirit is alive and well in the region. The circuit consists of 13 states in the Northeastern United States, including Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. It is one of 12 in the

PRCA Circuit System, celebrating its 50th anniversary during the 2025 season. Rodeos West of the Mississippi may draw bigger crowds or more competitors in search of bids to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge. But the First Frontier Circuit allows folks from big cities, backroads and suburban areas to witness a piece of Americana as circuit cowboys

strive to compete in the circuit finals and the NFR Open. “Our guys don’t travel west that much, and I’d say it’s more like a family unit,” former First Frontier Circuit president and Cowtown Rodeo owner Betsy Harris said. “We pretty much know way too much about each other. “I’m extremely partial, but we’ve been doing this with my husband’s family (Grant Harris) since 1955 with the PRCA.”

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PRORODEO Sports News April 2025