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San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Offers New Opportunities

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo was established in 1949 and has become one of the most prestigious stops on the ProRodeo circuit.

It won the PRCA’s Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year 14 times in a row from 2005-18.

The 2020 Stock Show & Rodeo, which runs Feb. 6-23 at the AT&T Center, will have a new wrinkle with a Rodeo Wildcard on Feb. 21, adding an additional performance to the rodeo (totaling 22 PRCA Rodeo performances) at the AT&T Center.

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will be aired live on The Cowboy Channel beginning with the third performance Feb. 8 and running through the finals. Check out TheCowboyChannel.com for the complete schedule.

The top 10 winners from the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Qualifier – another new wrinkle – in steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping and barrel racing will compete for a coveted spot in the San Antonio Rodeo finals.

The roughstock cowboys from the semifinals who do not qualify for the finals will have one last chance to get into the finals in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding through the wildcard performance.

The contestants with the fastest times in the timed events and top scores in the roughstock events will qualify for the Feb. 23 finals. There will be 11 contestants in each event in the finals.

“The San Antonio rodeo is one of the best we go to all year,” tie-down roper Shane Hanchey said. “Yes, it is limited, but it also adds over $1 million, and with the format it has, I think that’s the only way for that format to work, by adding the kind of money they are adding at San Antonio.”

A year ago, Hanchey won the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo for the first time.

Hanchey won the final round with a 7.2-second time, earning $15,000 for the run and an event-best $23,500 for the rodeo.

“San Antonio is one of those rodeos you put on your bucket list,” Hanchey said. “It’s right there with Houston, Cheyenne and Pendleton. It is such a prestigious rodeo. You know when someone is wearing a San Antonio buckle because you can spot it from a mile away. I’m anxious to go defend my title, and every year it seems like it gets bigger and bigger.”

Steer wrestler Tyler Waguespack, who also won San Antonio last year, agreed with Hanchey.

“San Antonio is probably my favorite rodeo out of all of them to go to because you get multiple opportunities to win money and the committee and hospitality take care of you tremendously,” Waguespack said. “It is one of the rodeos throughout the year that I try and get my parents and family to come and watch because of the great performance they put on there.”

The rodeo qualifiers, which will be held at the Expo Hall, will take place Feb. 12 for steer wrestling, Feb. 13 for tie-down roping and Feb. 16 for team roping. The winners of those qualifiers will head to the PRCA Wildcard, Feb. 21 with an opportunity to make it to the San Antonio finals.

“I’m a fan that they are introducing a qualifier at a rodeo as big as San Antonio is,” Hanchey said.

Waguespack likes the idea of more contestants in San Antonio.

“I wish they would open it up to even more people,” Waguespack said. “I know San Antonio is a prestige deal and they have certain qualifications to get you in, but I think it is such a great rodeo that it would be outstanding if they could open it up to even more people. Anything that gives guys opportunities to compete I’m for.”

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo has become one of the largest and most prestigious single events in the city, with more than 1.9 million visitors entering the grounds each year.

The success of the organization is attributed to more than 6,000 volunteers who give countless hours to the organization. With community, donor and volunteer support, the organization has donated more than $210 million to the youth of Texas through scholarships, grants, endowments, auctions, a calf scramble program and show premiums. For more information, visit sarodeo.com.

Courtesy of PRCA

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