Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #6: The World Championship Ranch Rodeo
On September 17, the Working Ranch Cowboys Association announced that the World Championship Ranch Rodeo would still happen—with some tweaks to meet the state’s social distancing and capacity restrictions.
First, it’s necessary to give credit to the WRCA staff and board who worked tirelessly through myriad options and restrictions to come to a solution that would allow the 25th version of the greatest cowboy rodeo to still happen. There were city, county, and state restrictions, ticket sales, fan expectations, qualifier expectations, and vendor expectations to weigh and they did a wonderful job coming up with a workable solution for all involved—while keeping health and safety standards achievable.
I think many in the industry took for granted that the WCRR would happen this year. So many of us feel so removed from the COVID pandemic, we think our favorite event would be removed from it as well. I can tell you that the WRCA was not removed from COVID. The leadership felt the burden of producing this event in the midst of this current landscape and did a masterful job reaching a workable solution.
Regardless of how the rodeo looks this year, there’s no question that this event is one of the best reasons to be a cowboy, not only for the competition but for the commerce and camaraderie as well.
First, the competition. Whether a competitor or fan, there’s no better place to see snappy roping, top horses, tough cowboys, and daring action than at the WCRR. While bull ridings and professional rodeo might have a bigger production value, there’s really nothing as authentically cowboy as the WCRR—and it’s no punkin rollin’ either. With over 100 of the best ranch cowboys, broncs from the Harry Vold Rodeo Company, and painstakingly trained ranch horses—you just won’t see a ranch rodeo any better.
The commerce is the next best reason the WCRR is a top-10 reason to be a cowboy. Any cowboy of any kind can easily find thousands of dollars worth of merchandise on display here. From fashion to tack to equipment to services, shoppers can buy anything that’s worth having for the beef and horse industries.
But the best reason for attending the WCRR is the camaraderie. Every year, I see someone I haven’t seen in years and hadn’t expected to see there. And every year I see some friends in Amarillo that I don’t get to see anywhere else. It’s truly the best reunion for cowboy acquaintances that happens anywhere, anytime. Period. With so many like-minded folks together, the atmosphere is familial. The whole experience, really, is special.
So, don’t miss the 25th annual World Championship Ranch Rodeo, November 12–15 in Amarillo, Texas.
