(Editor's note: PRCA media release)
CALGARY, Alberta – The Calgary Stampede and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) are pleased to announce a new partnership aimed at supporting the ongoing growth of the sport of rodeo in North America.
“Forming this partnership with the PRCA allows for greater collaboration and the chance for the Calgary Stampede to be more actively involved in future developments within the sport of rodeo,” says Paul Rosenberg, Chief Operating Officer of the Calgary Stampede, adding, “It also guarantees we’ll continue to attract the world’s best competitors and stock to Calgary for ten remarkable days of rodeo in July.”
Through this exciting new partnership, prize money won at the Calgary Stampede by PRCA athletes will count toward qualifying for a coveted spot at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), the season-ending championship for the PRCA, and further guarantees that the best competitors in the world will be competing in the Stampede’s one-of-a-kind rodeo format.
"We are incredibly excited by this partnership with the Calgary Stampede and what it means to our membership," says George Taylor, CEO of the PRCA. "The Stampede is one of the quintessential rodeos in North America, and now it will help PRORODEO cowboys as they chase their dreams of a gold buckle. The PRCA offers the best cowboys the chance to compete at the best rodeos, and the Stampede is helping further that reality."
The Calgary Stampede Rodeo will continue to invite competitors through a qualification process that allows all competitors at the top of their game to receive a much sought after Stampede spot. All of the invited athletes must have a PRCA membership. As part of this new agreement, the Calgary Stampede Rodeo will also be broadcast live daily to more than 42 million homes in the United States on the Cowboy Channel, a western and rodeo lifestyle cable and satellite network.
Expect to see the best-of-the-best compete at the 2020 Calgary Stampede July 3-12.
