Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
| Sport | rodeo |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1936 |
| Countries |
 United States Canada Mexico
|
| Most recent champion(s) |
Sage Kimzey |
| Official website | ProRodeo.com |
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the highest-paying American rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions rodeos in 37 U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces. Its championship event is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The PRCA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.
The organization was created in 1936 when a group of cowboys walked out of a rodeo at Boston Garden to protest the actions of rodeo promoter W.T. Johnson, who refused to add the cowboys' entry fees to the rodeo's total purse. Johnson finally gave in to the cowboys' demands, and the successful "strike" led to the formation of the Cowboys' Turtle Association. That name was chosen because, while they were slow to organize, when required they were unafraid to stick out their necks to get what they wanted, like turtles might do. Among the organizers was a woman, a four-time national bronc champion, Alice Greenough Orr. In 1945, the Turtles changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association, and in 1975, the organization became the PRCA. The PRCA staff consists of about 70 full-time employees, but grows to nearly 100 during the peak rodeo season. The PRCA headquarters, established in 1979 in Colorado Springs, also houses the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy.
A performer must qualify in his or her regional circuit to move on to the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR), held every year from 1987-2010 in Pocatello, Idaho, before moving to Oklahoma City in March 2011, Guthrie, OK in 2014 and then to Kissimmee, FL in 2015. The top two contestants in each of the seven rodeo events from the 12 different PRCA regional circuits compete in the four-day championship event. Points are achieved for the top competitors in each of the circuit rodeo events held throughout the year. The winner in each event at the RNCFR is the national circuit finals champion for that event. In addition to the eight individual event winners, there is also an overall champion titled the All-Around Cowboy. All eight winners receive the National Circuit Championship gold belt-buckle. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is the title sponsor of the NCFR.. The championship round of the RNCFR is broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
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