By Patrick Everson It certainly can’t be said that Stetson Wright didn’t make things entertaining over these past 10 days, competing in both the family business of saddle broncs and in bull riding at the 2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Saturday night’s 10th go-round may have been the most entertaining of all. Stetson and brother […]
Read more "There’s Zero Disappointment"By Patrick Everson When it comes to winning PRCA gold buckles for a season’s worth of very hard work, it’s very often about what you’ve done all year long. But as with other sports, you also need some breaks to fall your way. Caleb Smidt and Shane Hanchey were locked in a tight tie-down roping […]
Read more "I’m Just Blessed to Be Here"By Patrick Everson In case anybody thought Sage Kimzey would miss more than one beat as a world champion bull rider, well, think again. Kimzey, who won six consecutive gold buckles from 2014-19, had his dominant run halted in 2020, when Stetson Wright took the bull riding title. But in 2021, Kimzey entered the Wrangler […]
Read more "It Don’t Get No Better Than That"By Patrick Everson On the classic 1980s Saturday Night Live skits with Hans and Franz, their catchline was: “We’re here to pump (clap) you up!” Well, with the final two go-rounds of the 2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo set for Friday and Saturday night, I’m here to pump you up! Because you aren’t going to […]
Read more "Pump You Up!"By Patrick Everson Stetson Wright qualified to compete in two events at the 2021 Wrangler NFR: saddle broncs and bull riding. That means each night during this 10-round rodeo, he’s got to climb atop some of the best bucking stock in the world – twice. And that’s if everything goes to plan. In Wednesday night’s […]
Read more "Third Time’s a Charm"By Patrick Everson Team roper Clay Tryan is competing in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the 19th time. Starting in 2001, he’s made the trip to Las Vegas almost every year of this century, save for 2008 and 2016. That makes Tryan the dean of all Wrangler NFR competitors. Nobody who qualified this year […]
Read more "The Dean of all Wrangler NFR Competitors"By Patrick Everson There’s no question that the atmosphere at the Thomas & Mack Center is through the roof during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The energy is pretty hard to top. But don’t sleep on the more than 20 viewing parties that take place at hotel-casinos all around Las Vegas. Honestly, you couldn’t sleep […]
Read more "“It’s Just Not December without Vegas and the NFR”"Back in the 1988 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson — who could barely walk but hobbled to the plate as a pinch-hitter — hit one of the most iconic home runs of all time, in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 against the favored Oakland Athletics. The call by […]
Read more "The 10th go-round of the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo"If you’ve been hanging around the Thomas & Mack Center much this week during the nine go-rounds of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, you might have noticed a nice little patriotic touch to the attire of some contestants and folks tied to this event. That would be the red, white and blue feathers poking from […]
Read more "The true colors of rodeo"Night 8 of the Wrangler National Finals was a big night for Amberleigh Moore, who won the barrel racing go-round in an arena-record-tying 13.37 seconds. It was nearly as good a night for Ivy Conrado, who took second in the go-round at 13.63. That means it was a fantastic night for Kelly Conrado, because he […]
Read more "Amberleigh Moore"
NFR Experience 