The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The PRCA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.2018 PRCA Media Guide" "Introduction, About the PRCA, p. 6.
History The organization was created in 1936 when a group of cowboys walked out of a rodeo at the Boston Garden to protest the actions of rodeo promoter W.T. Johnson, who refused to add the cowboys' entry fees to the rodeo's total purse. Johnson finally gave in to the cowboys' demands, and the successful "strike" led to the formation of the Cowboys' Turtle Association. That name was chosen because, while they were slow to organize, when required they were unafraid to stick out their necks to get what they wanted, like turtles might do. Among the organizers was a woman; Alice Greenough Orr, a four-time national bronc riding champion.
In 1945, the Turtles changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 1975, the organization became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
The PRCA staff consists of about 70 full-time employees, but grows to nearly 100 during the peak rodeo season.
The PRCA headquarters, established in 1979 in Colorado Springs, also houses the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy.
In 2006, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame inducted the PRCA into its hall of fame.
Events Events are divided into roughstock and timed events.
Bareback riding - in this roughstock event, a rider has to stay on a bucking horse and is only allowed to hang on with a "rigging" attached by a cinch and latigos. The rider must stay on the horse for eight seconds to be considered a successful ride. Each successful ride is then judged for a maximum score of 100 points. The more difficult the horse is to ride and the more control the contestant has during the ride, the higher the score. After a successful ride, two pickup riders in the arena assist the contestant by helping him safely dismount the still-moving horse. The bareback rider with the highest score wins.
Steer wrestling - in this timed event, a rider jumps off his horse onto a Corriente steer and 'wrestles' it to the ground by grabbing it by the horns. The contestant that wrestles the steer to the ground the fastest wins. This is probably the single most physically dangerous event in rodeo for the cowboy, who runs a high risk of jumping off a running horse head first and missing the steer, or of having the thrown steer land on top of him, sometimes horns first.
Team roping - this timed event is the only team event in professional rodeo. Two ropers capture and restrain a Corriente steer whose horns have been reinforced for protection. One horse and rider, the "header," lassos a running steer's horns, while the other horse and rider, the "heeler," lassos the steer's two hind legs. Once the animal is captured, the riders face each other and lightly pull the steer between them, so that both ropes are taut. The team that ropes their steer the fastest wins. This technique originated from methods of capture and restraint for treatment used on a ranch.
Saddle bronc riding - this roughstock event is similar to bareback riding, but the rider uses a specialized western saddle without a horn (for safety) as well as a bronc rein and has to stay on the bucking horse for eight seconds. Like in bareback riding, two pickup riders attempt to help the contestant dismount the still-moving horse after a successful ride. Also like bareback riding, each successful ride is then judged for a maximum score of 100 points. The more difficult the horse is to ride and the more control the contestant has during the ride, the higher the score. The saddle bronc rider with the highest score wins.
Tie-down roping - this timed event, also called calf roping, is based on ranch work in which calves are roped for branding, medical treatment, or other purposes. It is the oldest of rodeo's timed events. The cowboy ropes a running calf around the neck with a lariat, and his horse stops and sets back on the rope while the cowboy dismounts, runs to the calf, throws it to the ground and ties three feet together. The cowboy then raises both hands to indicate completion. If the calf falls when roped, the roper must lose time waiting for the calf to get back to its feet so that the roper can do the work. The job of the horse is to hold the calf steady on the rope. The contestant that ropes his calf the fastest wins. A well-trained calf-roping horse will slowly back up while the cowboy ties the calf, to help keep the lariat snug.
Bull riding - in this roughstock event, the contestant attempts to ride a full-grown bucking bull for eight seconds. Like the bucking horse events, each successful ride is then judged for a maximum score of 100 points. The more difficult the bull is to ride and the more control the contestant has during the ride, the higher the score. The rider with the highest score wins. Although skills and equipment similar to those needed for bareback bronc riding are required, the event differs considerably from horse riding competition due to the danger involved. Because bulls are unpredictable and may attack a fallen rider, rodeo clowns, now known as "bullfighters", work during bull-riding competition to distract the bulls and help prevent injury to competitors.
steer roping - in this timed event, a cowboy and horse pursue a Corriente steer whose horns have been reinforced for protection. The cowboy must lasso the steer's horns and then ties the rope to his saddle. He must stop his horse promptly so that it throws the steer to the ground. The cowboy then quickly dismounts in order to tie three of the steer's legs together. He raises both hands to indicate completion. The fastest time wins.
Barrel racing - is a timed speed and agility event. In barrel racing, horse and rider gallop around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels, making agile turns without knocking the barrels over. The contestant that successfully passes the cloverleaf pattern the fastest wins. In professional, collegiate and high school rodeo, barrel racing is an exclusively women's sport, though men and boys occasionally compete at local O-Mok-See competition. Barrel racing takes place with other PRCA sanctioned events, but it is sanctioned by the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). Results are shown on that web site.
Breakaway roping – is a timed event and variation of calf roping where a calf is roped, but not thrown and tied. The roper attempts to throw a lasso around the neck of the calf. Once the rope is around the calf's neck, the roper signals the horse to stop suddenly. The rope is tied to the saddle horn with a string. When the calf hits the end of the rope, the rope is pulled tight and the string breaks. The breaking of the string marks the end of the run. The fastest time wins. In professional and collegiate rodeo, breakaway roping is exclusively a women's sport. Breakaway roping started becoming a regular event at some PRCA rodeos in 2019, making it along with barrel racing the two female events. By 2025, it was held in 560 PRCA rodeos. Like barrel racing, breakaway roping is sanctioned by the WPRA and results are shown on its website.
All-around - the All-around cowboy is actually an award, not an event. It is awarded to the highest money winner in two or more events.
Note: Steer roping is publicized separately and its finals are held separately at the National Finals Steer Roping (NFSR). The National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR), held in conjunction with the NFR since 2020, has been held to determine the WPRA's world champion breakaway roper.
Tours and championships
Circuit System There are 12 U.S. regional circuits in the PRCA; Montana, Mountain States, Wilderness, Columbia River, California, Turquoise, Texas, Prairie, Badlands, Great Lakes, Southeast, and First Frontier. Contestants compete in their respective regional circuits and the top ones qualify for each region's circuit finals rodeos. Points are achieved for the top competitors in each of the circuit rodeo events held throughout the year. At the conclusion of each circuit finals rodeo, the season champion, as well as the circuit finals average champion qualify for the main championship event of the circuit system, the NFR Open. The winner in each event at the NFR Open is the U.S. National Champion for their respective event. In addition to the nine individual event winners, including heading and heeling team ropers, there is also the all-around cowboy champion, who wins the most money in two or more events. All ten winners receive the National Circuit championship belt buckle. Each different circuit also competes at the NFR Open as a team and the best performing circuit wins the PRCA National Circuit Team Championship.
The main championship event for the circuit system was previously known as the National Circuit Finals Rodeo (NCFR). The NCFR was held every spring from 1987 through 2010 in Pocatello, Idaho, before moving to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2011; Guthrie, Oklahoma, in 2014; and then to Kissimmee, Florida, in 2015. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCFR had to be moved to a different date and location. It was ultimately held in Greeley, Colorado, in September. The event itself was closed to the public and the seats were filled with socially distanced cardboard cutouts of people. In 2021, The NCFR returned to Kissimmee, Florida, and took place during its normal run in the springtime, but consisted of a limited and socially distanced crowd due to the continuity of the pandemic.2018 PRCA Media Guide"Circuit Information and Records", 2018 RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, pp. 438–558. In 2022, the National Circuit Finals Rodeo was renamed as the NFR Open and now takes place every July at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Since 2016, the PRCA has had a partnership with the Federación Mexicana de Rodeo (FMR) (Mexican Rodeo Federation). Rodeo contestants compete in a series of events co-sanctioned by the PRCA and FMR called the PRCA-FMR Tour. It has a year-end finals event and the tour champions and finals champions from the previous calendar year competed at the NCFR beginning in 2017. This lasted through 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the PRCA's partnership with the FMR to pause for three years. Since 2023, the PRCA-FMR Tour champions again compete at the NFR Open. The season champions of the Maple Leaf Circuit, which was forged between a partnership with the PRCA and Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA), first competed at the NCFR in 2020 and have consistently competed at the NFR Open ever since.
ProRodeo Playoff Series The top cowboys and cowgirls compete in the PRCA's 60 largest regular-season rodeos where they try to earn points towards the tour finale in September; the Cinch Playoffs Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The finale was held for several years at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington. In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the finale was held in Rapid City, South Dakota. In 2021, it moved to the California Rodeo Salinas in Salinas, California. The finale returned to Puyallup in 2022. Since 2023, it is separated into two halves in two different cities. The first half, simply titled the Cinch Playoffs, is held at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington, in early September. The second half, the Cinch Playoffs Governor's Cup, is held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in late September, and is the last regular season event of the PRCA calendar. The Cinch Jeans company is the Playoffs' title sponsor.