Cowboys Strive for Gold in July
SALT LAKE CITY – Gold has long been reserved for December in rodeo, with the focus on the gold buckle, but now thanks to the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo, contestants will have the opportunity to compete for a Gold Medal and a share of $1 Million in July. A gold medal win in July in Salt Lake City, Utah, could propel a cowboy or cowgirl to a gold buckle in Las Vegas in December.
The Komatsu Equipment Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo presented by Zions Bank, July 19-22 and 24, will take place at the all-new, $16 million, state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena currently under construction at the Utah State Fair Park. The venue – an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City – is due for completion by July 1, and features 10,000 stadium-style seats.
“Days of ’47 is excited to once again partner with the PRCA offering cowboys and cowgirls a chance at a share of $1 million,” said President and CEO of Days of ’47 Rodeo Dan Shaw. “This exciting new format, at our brand-new stadium, will bring a fresh approach to the sport, and greater financial opportunities to the rodeo athletes.”
A total of 32 contestants each in bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding, along with 32 teams in the team roping, will earn the right to compete in the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo.
The top 10 contestants in the PRCA and the WPRA world standings, the leaders from each of the 12 national PRCA/WPRA circuits and the leading Rookie of the Year in each discipline, as of July 5, will qualify for the semifinals, along with the winners from the 2017 RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR).
These qualifiers will be split into three groups of eight and compete in one of the first three performances July 19-21. The remaining eight contestants in each event will be qualified by the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo (for detailed information on how to qualify visit www.daysof47cowboygames.com). These individuals will compete in the fourth performance on July 22. All performances will begin at 7 p.m.
The top two in each discipline from each day will advance to the Gold Medal Round on July 24. The Gold Medal Round, featuring the top 8 in each discipline, will compete in a sudden-death format with the winner collecting a gold medal and $50,000 cash that will count towards the PRCA and WPRA world standings that determine Wrangler NFR qualifiers and world champions. This payout marks the largest one-day payout in the PRCA regular season.
This will mark only the third time in the history of the PRCA that cowboys will have an opportunity to compete for gold, silver or bronze medals. The previous two times were in conjunction with the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary (1988) and Salt Lake City (2002), when rodeo was part of the Cultural Olympiad. The medals that will be awarded at the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo will be produced by OC Tanner, the same company that made the Olympic medals for the champions of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
The Gold Medal Round will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tickets are currently on sale at smithstix.com. For more information on the event visit www.daysof47cowboygames.com.
Courtesy of PRCA