Las Vegas Weekly

December 3, 2008 · 1:38 PM

Country superstars and riders help National Finals Rodeo celebrate 50 years

By Robin Leach

Larry Mahan.

Photo: National Finals Rodeo

Over the next 10 days, Las Vegas should receive a much-needed injection of some $60 million from all the cowboys and cowgirls in town for the 50th anniversary of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which officially kicks off tomorrow with a lineup of star-studded entertainment.

This year’s prizes total $5.6 million for the riders, and the Big 5-0 anniversary is shared with NASA, Legos and the Daytona 500.

The NFR wasn’t always held in Las Vegas. The NFR began in Dallas in 1959, and it moved to Oklahoma City for a long run before moving here permanently in 1985. It’s only been in the past 20 years that all 200 events have been total sellouts with 17,500 people each night for a total of 175,000 through the gates of our Thomas & Mack arena.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Lady Antebellum.

More than 2,000 tons of dirt is brought in to turn the basketball court into a cowboys’ stadium and for the outside animal stalls. For five hours, a crew of 25 dump truck drivers, graders and water truckers work on the floor alone, and then the installation of the chutes, pens and lights is another 48-hour process. In all, nearly 500 people are involved in the daily operation of the rodeo.

For this year’s “Super Bowl of Rodeo,” there are more than 800 heads of livestock including 100 bucking bulls, 200 bucking horses, 75 calves, 120 steers, 120 contestant horses and 80 flag horses. All of them have to eat, which means 60 tons of grain and 190 tons of hay over the course of the 10 days. Officials are estimating that fans will do well, too, in that department, with at least 75,000 beers, 15,000 bottles of water, 26,000 sodas, 5,000 pizzas, 4,500 orders of nachos, 6,800 hot pretzels and 7,000 bags of popcorn! Our economy has benefited to the tune of $708 million since NFR arrived here 24 years ago.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Heidi Newfield.

There are seven categories of competition at Thomas & Mack: saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and team roping. Each category features the 15 best riders for the finals, and Nevada is represented by Vegas cowboy Colin McTaggart in the bull riding and Jade Corkill from Fallon in the team roping. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue plans to be ringside daily to file his fabulous photos of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat! (How could I resist that line?!)

Prior to tomorrow’s official kickoff, there was a Gold Buckle gala at South Point, and Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer Larry Mahan, a six-time all-around world champion cowboy star, rode right into the ballroom. Fifteen hotels across town and on the Strip have their welcome mats out for the cowboys, and the Silverton serves as party headquarters with daily parties starting at 3 p.m., viewing parties until 9 p.m. and after-parties each night starting at 10, with a nightly mechanical bull riding challenge in the new Entertainment Pavilion.

What began as a discussion between two cowboys to settle a $50,000 bet has now come of age 50 years later with six, live ESPN broadcasts and others on tape delay -- twice the number in previous years!

Photo: Preferred Public Relations

Mark Chesnutt.

The excitement happens as much around town as it does inside the arena, and every night from now on there’s lavish entertainment from such top country stars as Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Charlie Daniels and Lee Greenwood.

Here at Vegas DeLuxe, we’ll give you the entire rundown tomorrow and then each day refresh with that particular night’s attractions. The 22nd annual downtown hoedown, however, starts tonight at 6 as the Fremont Street Experience goes country.

Lee Greenwood.

The stompin’ shindig features free live concerts and two-steppin’ fun with top country music talents Lady Antebellum, gorgeous former Trick Pony solo singer Heidi Newfield, The Road Hammers and Mark Chesnutt. Lady Antebellum is 6 to 8 p.m. and Heidi Newfield is 9 to 11p.m on the 1st Street stage, while The Road Hammers are 6 to 8 p.m. and Mark Chesnutt is 9 to11 p.m. on the 3rd Street stage.

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