When Vickie Carter rode into the arena at the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday night, she made her official debut at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. It was yet another milestone in what’s been an incredible journey for the 60-year-old rookie barrel racer.
It wasn’t just a night of firsts for Tim O’Connell. It’s been a year of firsts that keeps getting better all the time.
Take a look at the WNFR daily events and entertainment listings.
Entering the 57th National Finals Rodeo, which opens its 31st annual 10-day run in Las Vegas today at the Thomas & Mack Center, six reigning world champions are poised to repeat as champs this year.
In 1987, when I was the new guy on the sports staff, I was assigned to cover the National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center, because that was what the new guy did. A quiet man from Utah named Lewis Feild was awarded the gold buckle for being the best all-around cowboy.
Two years ago, the threat of major change loomed over the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. All parties involved were trying to hammer out a deal to keep the event in Las Vegas, but the prospect of a cross-country move to Orlando, Fla., loomed thick.
As much as the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo has become a staple of Las Vegas’ December calendar, so too has Cowboy Christmas. The shopping, entertainment and interactive bonanza has provided a great way for rodeo fans — and even regular folks interested in Western lifestyle — to fill up their daylight hours while waiting for the next go-round of the WNFR.
Rodeo and country music fans gathered under the lights of the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas for the 29th annual Downtown Hoedown
It’s fitting that Evan Jayne will stay at the Monte Carlo with the rest of the world’s best bareback riders during the National Finals Rodeo, which returns to Las Vegas for its annual 10-day run today through Dec. 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
As the toughest cowboys and girls from across the country make their way to Sin City this week to compete in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) here are five facts about the world’s richest rodeo that you may not be aware of.
The most talented cowboys in the country are returning to Las Vegas in two weeks and this time they’re going to make a lot more money at the National Finals Rodeo.
You wouldn’t know it from his name, or from the songs he sings, or from the way he styles his hair that Chadwick Johnson is a singing cowboy.
Well, that didn’t take long. A day after the Professional Bull Riders circuit held its final event at Thomas & Mack Center, a bucket of PBR World Finals dirt from that arena on the UNLV campus was ceremoniously dumped Monday afternoon in front of the new Las Vegas arena being built on the Strip.
After winning his second Professional Bull Riders world title in three years, J.B. Mauney didn’t hoist the championship trophy over his head when he was presented with the hardware following Sunday’s final round of the PBR World Finals before a crowd of 15,500 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
