And this week is packed with cowboy shopping opportunities, belt buckle presentations, boot scootin' parties, and plain ol' rollickin' fun. Whether you envy the independent, no-bosses life of the rodeo cowboy, you cling to the notion that cowboys are the true embodiment of the fading American dream, or you simply like to drink beer and laugh like an idiot whenever someone bites the dust, the Finals is always a hoot. It offers the utmost in a sport already filled with excitement, danger, extraordinary skill and the ruggedest of rugged individuals. In order to get a high score, the cowboy or cowgirl, while using only one hand, must stay aboard the bucking horse or bull for eight seconds. If the rider touches the animal with his free hand, he's disqualified.
Every sport has superstars and rodeo is no exception.
Ty was the youngest cowboy ever to win the PRCA all-around championship in 1989, at age 19, and he has been breaking records ever since. As for Kristie Peterson, she and her horse Bozo are the tops in barrel racing. A former school bus driver who's won five National Finals titles since 1993, she had to settle for second place last year and will be back with a vengeance. Equally fun are all the zany events the NFR inspires. Don't indulge in one too many complimentary martinis, because you might cause a ruckus at the ProRodeo Fashion Show, the Downtown Hoedown, or the Miss Rodeo America Pageant events, happening all week.