Every December, Las Vegas returns to its wild west roots by
hosting the 10 day “National Finals Rodeo” (NFR), basically the “Super Bowl” of
rodeos where many hundreds of thousands of dollars are paid to the winners.
Shirley and I try to go most years. I’m a native Texan (Fort Worth) and we lived in Dallas before coming to Las Vegas. So it gives us a chance
to put on our boots and cowboy hats and blend right into the crowd. Shirley’s a
big horse person as well, and sometimes I think that smell of manure is like perfume for her. (or at least relatively pleasant)
For those unfamiliar with rodeos, it consists of 7 to 8
events derived from skills that were mostly required out on the range when
cowboys worked the cattle ranches. I know that doesn't explain the bull riding,
but I can only attribute that to boredom (“let’s get on a 2000 pound bull and
see how long we can stay on”, or to the effects of alcohol.) At any rate, all the
events are highly entertaining and the animals are well taken care of.
Specialized rodeo horses and bulls are worth thousands of dollars and are key
to a great rodeo.
In Las Vegas, the NFR is held at the Thomas & Mack area,
which holds about 17000 people, and it’s sold-out well in advance.
For 10 days
in December, cowboys rule in Sin City.
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| CJ & Jesse contemplate the latest in Service vehicles |
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| Bucking Broncos live up to their name at the NFR |
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| You can watch the action close-up on the big screen |
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| For ten days, dirt covers the floor of the Thomas & Mack |
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| Any wild west show needs a stagecoach |
