ProRodeo Sports News - November 16, 2018

DECEMBER 6-15 LAS VEGAS

Instead of fixing the problems caused by the new format, an 11th round was added to the NFR in 1978. “To be the world champion in rodeo it takes more than 10 days,” Gay said. “You’re not ever going to change that unless you change the entire format.” As the haze of the ’70s began to lift, the Sudden Death format was discontinued, and money won at the NFR was added to the year-end total earnings in 1979. “I love riding bulls, so it was great to have another round, but for Oklahoma City it was another day to sell tickets – it is a business,” Gay said. “You can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. In bull riding it doesn’t matter how many rounds there are, if you out-ride everyone you will be the world champ, and that’s what I focused on.” The 1980s were a time of radical changes for the NFR, as it moved from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas in 1985 and a record purse of $2 million was achieved in 1987. “I enjoyed Oklahoma City, it was MAKING PROGRESS INTHE ’80s

to qualify for the NFR. The change also meant the top header and the top heeler would be recognized as world champions for their respective roles. “A lot of people didn’t realize that didn’t seem fair,” team roping heeler Allen Bach said. Bach won four world titles, two before the change (1979 and ’90) and two after the change (1995 and 2006). “Most old people don’t want to change their mind-set on anything,” Bach said. “Rodeo shouldn’t be like old people, we should be creative and ever- evolving and changing. When people have great ideas to change the sport, we should be open-minded and do it.” In 1993, team roping header Bobby Hurley was crowned the team roping champion with $86,858, while his partner, Bach, was the second- highest earning roper with $80,923. Though Bach was the top heeler, there was no world title for it. That all changed in 1995 when Hurley and Bach won world titles as the first designated heading and heeling world champions with $81,658 each. “That’s how everything in rodeo could be if we keep making adjustments and changes for the better,” Bach said. “Tradition is OK, but doggone, every sport has evolved. The NFL didn’t start as the NFL. It all starts somewhere. I would love to see us start from here with a great sport and watch it evolve.” 21ST CENTURY COWBOYS The NFR continued to change as rodeo entered its third century. Wrangler came on as a title sponsor of the NFR in 2001. The prize money surpassed $5 million for the first time in 2005. By 2008, Trevor Brazile became the first PRCA cowboy to surpass $3 million in career earnings. As runs got faster and scores

Among the four stops for the NFR, Los Angeles was stop No. 2, where Jim Houston competed in the 1964 Finals. DeVere Helfrich photo

more of a cowboy camaraderie gathering,” ProRodeo Hall of Famer Charlie Sampson said. “We were the stars and we were the it event in town.” Before the move, Sampson made professional rodeo history in 1982 when he became the first African American to win a world title, doing so in bull riding. “My championship was won because I rode great and had a great attitude, and I feel that the sport was ready for me,” Sampson said. “I wasn’t trying to be the first. I didn’t set a goal to be the first black, African American bull rider, I set the goal to be a champion bull rider, and once I accomplished the goal it comes with being an African American cowboy. I was proud to be a champion, but more

got higher, so did the prize money, as the NFR’s payout increased from $6.375 million to $10 million in 2015. This change sparked single- season earnings records to be broken in every event except for barrel racing. Bareback rider Steven Peebles set the record for most money won in a single event with $234,054. The following year saw bull rider Sage Kimzey become the youngest millionaire in the PRCA rodeo at 22 years, 3 months, 2 weeks old on the final day of the 2016Wrangler NFR. The 60th edition of the National Finals Rodeo will take place Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas. The sport of rodeo will continue to evolve and plenty more history will be made. The next 60 years can’t come soon enough.

For 20 years (1965-84) Oklahoma City welcomed competitors like Bruce Ford, seen here at the 1982 NFR in Round 7 on Chemo. James Fain photo

importantly I rode just as good as anyone. It didn’t matter if I was black or white, I rode better and traveled. They didn’t give it to me because I was black.” EQUAL RECOGNITION INTHE ’90s The team roping world standings were split into heading and heeling categories for the first time in 1995, allowing the Top 15 ropers on each end

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