World Champion Rodeo athletes invited to advance directly to the american rodeo at globe life field ON MARCH 9, 2024

Following the conclusion of the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), presented by Teton Ridge in Las Vegas, the Top 5 champion athletes in each western sports discipline of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) immediately punched their ticket to advance to The American Rodeo at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on March 9, 2024.

The full list of champions invited to advance directly to The American Rodeo from the PRCA and WPRA leaderboards includes all-star names like Zeke Thurston, Ky Hamilton, Jess Pope, Riley Webb, Lisa Lockhart, Hali Williams and many more. Athletes expected to compete are subject to change.

The top-tier athletes will go up against underdog “Contenders” that have rigorously competed over the course of the year in the American Rodeo Contender Tournament to advance to the ultimate high-stakes showdown. While the professional athletes will be defending their champion status, the “Contender” 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 invited professional athletes like Hailey Kinsel, Jackie Crawford, Shane Hanchey, Lefty Holman, Tim O’Connell and many more 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 Nevada, Oklahoma and Kentucky.

The West Regionals will be held at the South Point Arena at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. Semi-finals rounds will be held Thursday, Jan. 11 and Friday, Jan. 12. The final round will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13 starting at 7:30 p.m. PST. Tickets for the West Regional Finals can be found HERE.

The Central Regionals will be held at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds: Jim Norick Arena. Semi-finals rounds will be held Thursday, Jan. 18 and Friday, Jan. 19. The final round will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20 starting at 7:30 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 Thursday, Jan. 25 and Friday, Jan. 26. The final round will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27 starting at 7:30 p.m. EST. Tickets for the East Regional Finals can be found HERE.

Following the three Regional Finals, all eyes will then turn toward Taylor Telecom Arena in Abilene, Texas on Feb. 10 as the Top 5 advancing Contender competitors from each Regional market battle it out at The American Contender Tournament Finals in hopes of advancing to Globe Life Field. The field of 15 will be narrowed down to five with more than $360,000 on the line alongside the golden ticket to Arlington. Tickets for The American Contender Tournament Finals can be found HERE.

The grandest weekend in western sports will then touchdown at the home of the Texas Rangers March 8-11.

Returning from its debut during The American Western Weekend in 2023, The American Performance Horseman, a groundbreaking event which features the Top 5 professionals from the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA), National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) and National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) will kick off the weekend on Friday, March 8. The distinctive competitive exhibition format fuses the elements of history and competition in an ode to the past, present, and future of western performance horse sports. 

Acquired by Teton Ridge in late 2021 and celebrating it’s 11^th year in 2024, The American Rodeo features competitors in all eight traditional rodeo disciplines. On Saturday, March 9 fans can root for the underdog “Contenders” chasing a $1 million bonus or the professional athletes defending their champion status in the ultimate showdown.

For more information or to purchase tickets for The American Western Weekend, eventgoers can visit www.americanrodeo.com/tickets.