LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 10, 2023) – As three days of dirt-flinging western sports action at The American Contender Tournament East Regionals came to a close inside Kentucky Horse Park’s All-Tech Arena on Friday night, the Top 4 athletes in each rodeo discipline immediately punched their ticket to advance to The American Contender Tournament Finals at Globe Life Field on Thursday, March 9, 2023 – the next step in their journey to the “Crown Jewel of Rodeo,” The American Rodeo on Saturday, March 11, 2023.
A full list of the of the “Contender” athletes advancing from Lexington’s East Region Finals to Arlington, Texas including top names like bareback rider Richmond Champion, saddle bronc rider Statler Wright, breakaway roper Tacy Kay Webb, reigning WPRA Rookie of the Year barrel racer Bayleigh Choate and bull rider Chase Outlaw – can be found HERE.
Replays of The American Contender Tournament’s Central Region Finals in Tulsa will be available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.tetonridgeplus.com as well as air on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 7:30pm ET/ 6:30pm CT.
Those moving on will go up against revered champions in the sport that were in the Top 5 in the world standings at the end of the year. While the professional athletes will be defending their champion status, the everyday cowboys and cowgirls going up against them will be chasing the opportunity to advance to the ultimate high-stakes showdown and life-changing $1 million bonus.
Fans still have the opportunity to cheer on other 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 the one remaining nationally televised Regional Finals event being held in Heber City, Utah prior to The American Western Weekend in Texas.
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.
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.
Joining a full lineup of entertainment, song-writer Maren Morris will perform live in her hometown following The American Contender Tournament Finals on Thursday, March 9, 2023. With her roots in Arlington, Morris is one of the leading voices in music today, armed with incredible vocal stylings and songwriting chops, sheer talent, honest lyrics and an undeniable presence.
Friday night will feature The American Performance Horseman groundbreaking event at 6:45 p.m. CST. Following the exhilarating and competitive in-arena sports action on Friday, March 10th fans will be treated to more than two hours of superior live musical performances from legendary singer, songwriter Sheryl Crow and three-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer Darius Rucker, all kicked off by opening act the Ghost Hounds.
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. 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 [email protected].
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Teton Ridge/ The American Rodeo Media Contact:
Cally Anderson / [email protected]
Mandi McCary / [email protected]
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.
