The National Finals Rodeo, also known as the NFR, is an annual professional rodeo championship event that takes place every December in Las Vegas, Nevada. The rodeo is the premier event of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and features the top 15 cowboys in each of the PRCA’s seven events.
The NFR was first held in 1959 and has been held in Las Vegas since 1985. It is broadcast live on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Radio. The event is also streamed live on PRCA’s website and on the CBS Sports app to watch NFR live stream.
The NFR is held at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The center is named after former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian and former UNLV athletic director Mackay.
The NFR features two types of rodeo events: bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and barrel racing.
Bareback riding is a rodeo event where the cowboy rides a bucking horse without a saddle or stirrups. The cowboy must stay on the horse for eight seconds to score a point.
Saddle bronc riding is a rodeo event where the cowboy rides a bucking horse with a saddle. The cowboy must stay on the horse for eight seconds to score a point.
Bull riding is a rodeo event where the cowboy rides a bucking bull. The cowboy must stay on the bull for eight seconds to score a point.
Tie-down roping is a rodeo event where the cowboy lassos a calf and then ties it to a post. The cowboy must do this in less than 30 seconds to score a point.
Team roping is a rodeo event where two cowboys team up to lasso a calf. One cowboy lassos the calf’s head and the other cowboy lassos the calf’s feet. The team must do this in less than 10 seconds to score a point.
