The ProRodeo Sports News - March 6, 2020

PRCA, Calgary Stampede form new partnership Big Boost for Rodeo SHORT ROUND

T he Calgary Stampede and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association announced a new partnership aimed at supporting the ongoing growth of the sport of rodeo in North America. “Forming this partnership with the PRCA allows for greater collaboration and the chance for the Calgary Stampede to be more actively involved in future

developments within the sport of rodeo,” said Paul Rosenberg, Chief Operating Officer of the Calgary Stampede. “It also guarantees we’ll continue to attract the world’s best competitors and stock to Calgary for 10 remarkable days of rodeo in July.” Through this exciting new partnership, prize money won at the Calgary Stampede by PRCA athletes will count toward qualifying for a coveted spot at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and further guarantees that the best competitors in the world will be competing in the Stampede’s one-of-a-kind rodeo format. “We are incredibly excited by this partnership with the Calgary Stampede and what it means to our membership,” said George Taylor, CEO of the PRCA. “The Stampede is one of the quintessential rodeos in North America, and now it will help ProRodeo cowboys as they chase their All roads from the ProRodeo Tour again lead to Puyallup, Wash. The ProRodeo Tour Finale will take place at the Washington State Fair Rodeo in Puyallup, Sept. 10-13, and boasts a payout in excess of $500,000. Puyallup and the Tour Finale will play a key role in determining which cowboys will be crowned ProRodeo Tour champions and which ones will be heading to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Dec. 3-12. The Top 24 contestants in the Tour standings will qualify for the Tour Finale in Puyallup. With $480,000 added and entry fees of $250 per contestant (paid for by the PRCA), the total payout will be $66,000 per event for a total payout of $528,000. ProRodeo Tour Finale again set for Puyallup

dreams of a gold buckle. The PRCA offers the best cowboys the chance to compete at the best rodeos, and the Stampede is helping further that reality.” The Calgary Stampede will continue to invite competitors through a qualification process that allows all competitors at the top of their game to receive a much sought-after Stampede spot. All of the invited cowboys must have a PRCA membership. As part of the new agreement, the Calgary Stampede Rodeo will also be broadcast live daily to more than 42 million homes in the United States on The Cowboy Channel. Expect to see the best-of-the-best compete at the 2020 Calgary Stampede July 3-12. For more information, visit calgarystampede.com. Medders new president, GM of Cowboy Channel Jeff Medders, the executive producer of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and owner of Geronimo Productions, is moving into 2020 with another title – president and general manager of The Cowboy Channel. Medders is a veteran to the rodeo industry with more than 29 years of working on projects such as the Wrangler NFR, ProRodeo Tour and Cinch High School Rodeo Tours (which airs on RFD-TV). Medders’ expertise expands beyond the rodeo world and into cutting and reining as he worked as the host of the AQHA TV show “America’s Horse.” Medders was also inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2018. Medders will be based at The Cowboy Channel’s headquarters in the Fort Worth (Texas) Stockyards.

ProRodeo Sports News 3/6/2020

ProRodeo.com

20