The Top 5 champions in each discipline move forward to The American Rodeo while the top 6-20 ranked professional athletes head to The American Contender Tournament Regionals in Utah, Oklahoma and Kentucky in February
As the dust settled in Las Vegas following the National Finals Rodeo, presented by Teton Ridge (NFR), and the leaderboard of western sports athletes in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) was decided, the Top 5 champions in each rodeo discipline immediately punched their ticket to advance to The American Rodeo at Globe Life Field on March 11, 2023 in Arlington, Texas.
A full list of champion athletes advancing to The American Rodeo Contender Round from the PRCA and WPRA leaderboards– including all-star names like Hailey Kinsel, Stetson Wright, Jess Pope, Martha Angelone and many more – can be found HERE.
The revered champion competitors will go up against underdog “Contenders” that have rigorously competed over the course of the year in the newly launched American Rodeo Contender Tournament to advance to the ultimate high-stakes showdown. While the professional athletes will be defending their champion status, the everyday cowboys and cowgirls going up against them will be chasing a life-changing $1 million bonus.
Fans will have the opportunity to cheer on those dedicated “Contenders” in addition to professional athletes that fell outside of the Top 5 (No. 6-20) in the standings, as they put it all on the line at three nationally televised events held in Utah, Oklahoma and Kentucky prior to The American Western Weekend in Texas.
Acquired by Teton Ridge in late 2021, The American Rodeo, celebrating its 10th year, is the only rodeo where the pros compete against “the joes and the janes,” featuring competitors in all eight traditional rodeo disciplines: barrel racing, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, team roping (heading and heeling), tie down roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding.
With an unmatched total purse of more than $6 million in 2023, non-stop rodeo action, live music from multi-platinum recording artist Cody Johnson, entertainment and more, the industry-leading event is the centerpiece of Teton Ridge’s The American Western Weekend in Arlington, March 8-11.
The Central Regionals will be held at the Oklahoma Fairgrounds: Ford Truck Arena in Tulsa. Semi-finals rounds will be held Friday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 4. The final round will be held on Sunday, Feb. 5 starting at 1:30 p.m. CST. Tickets for the Central Regional Finals can be found HERE.
The East Regionals will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park: All-Tech Arena in Lexington. Semi-finals rounds will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8 and Thursday, Feb. 9. The final round will be held on Friday, Feb. 10 starting at 7:30 p.m. EST. Tickets for the East Regional Finals can be found HERE.
The West Regionals will be held at the Wasatch Events Center in Heber City, Utah. Semi-finals rounds will be held Thursday, Feb. 16 and Friday, Feb. 17. The final round will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18 starting at 7:30 p.m. PST. Tickets for the East Regional Finals can be found HERE.
Following the Regional Finals, all eyes will turn toward Arlington, Texas as the enhanced week of western sports and entertainment gets underway at 9 a.m. CST on Wednesday, March 8 with The American Contender Tournament Wild Card. On Thursday, March 9 fans can watch at 6:45 p.m. CST as competitors put it all on the line at The American Contender Tournament Finals in hopes of advancing to Saturday.
Friday night will feature The American Performance Horseman at 6:45 p.m. CST followed by the nonstop rodeo action as The American Rodeo begins at 5:45 p.m. CST on Saturday, March 11.
For fans wanting to make this one-of-a-kind weekend even more memorable, a variety of VIP and premium offerings are available for both The American Performance Horseman on Friday evening and The American Rodeo on Saturday. Guests can enjoy exclusive dining and cocktail options, a field-side ultimate western party playground, commemorative credentials, floor access during concerts, exclusive photo opportunities and much more throughout the weekend. For more information or to purchase VIP and premium experiences for The American Rodeo, eventgoers can visit www.americanrodeo.com/tickets. Those interested in purchasing a table for The American Performance Horseman or learning more about the unique offerings available, can email tickets@tetonridge.com.
About The American Western Weekend Rodeo:
The American Western Weekend March 8th -11th, 2023 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas features four nights of action-packed entertainment, world-class talent and western sports that culminates with The American Rodeo. Hailed as The Crown Jewel of Rodeo™, The American Rodeo is an unrivaled celebration of the pioneering spirit of the American West. The national sporting event offers fans a unique choice – to cheer on western sports’ finest, champion athletes, or root for the underdog “Contenders” chasing a $1 million bonus – through every rodeo, roping and riding effort. For the first time ever, a new competitive exhibition called The American Performance Horseman brings together the western equine sports disciplines of reining, reined cow horse and cutting for a $1 million prize. All combined with star-studded music, a western festival and more. Acquired by Teton Ridge in 2021, The American Rodeo is an annual western sports and entertainment celebration that matches professional rodeo’s top athletes against the world’s most aspirational cowboys and cowgirls, who have put up their own money to bet on themselves in this high stake’s showdown. For more information on The American Rodeo, please visit americanrodeo.com or @TheAmerican.TR on Instagram @TheAmericanTR on Facebook and Twitter.
About Teton Ridge:
Teton Ridge is a multi-platform, wholly American-owned brand and media company devoted to the iconic American western way of life. Teton Ridge’s Sports division was created with the singular focus of elevating classic western sports and America’s western culture on the world stage, while broadening audiences around the globe as well as at home. In 2021, Teton Ridge acquired The American, the iconic event of the rodeo circuit, to continue to expand the audiences for rodeo sports and make it the world’s premier western culture event. For more information about Teton Ridge, please visit tetonridge.com or @tetonridge on Instagram @tetonridgeusa on Facebook.
Teton Ridge/ The American Rodeo Media Contact:
Mandi McCary / mandi@mmgnv.com
Cally Anderson / cally@mmgnv.com