Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Monday By the Numbers: Getting dirty with National Finals Rodeo

2016 Miss Rodeo America Pageant

Tom Donoghue / DonoghuePhotography.com

The 2016 Miss Rodeo America Pageant on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at MGM Grand Conference Center. Miss Rodeo Washington Katherine Merck of Spokane was declared the winner.

2016 Miss Rodeo America Pageant

The 2016 Miss Rodeo America Pageant on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at MGM Grand Conference Center. Miss Rodeo Washington Katherine Merck of Spokane was declared the winner. Launch slideshow »

2015 Wrangler NFR: Round 4

Round 4 of the 2015 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. Launch slideshow »

2015 Wrangler NFR: Round 3

Round 3 of the 2015 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at the Thomas & Mack Center. Launch slideshow »

Monday By the Numbers this week turns to the land of steers, tears and beers. That is, naturally, the 2015 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Tears for the fantastic renditions of the national anthem during this edition of the rodeo, and never is the anthem more anthemic than when recited for 18,000-plus at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The rodeo wraps Saturday after 10 days. Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association chief Karl Stressman is due for his annual news conference Tuesday from NFR Press Room, which at this writing serves as The Kats Report Bureau.

With a tip of the hat to my longtime riding partner Michael Mack of Las Vegas Events for furnishing the thrust of this list, let’s buck ’em out:

2,000: Tons of dirt hauled into the arena and stalls.

12 to 15 inches: Depth of dirt on that arena floor.

700: Head of livestock total.

305: Head of bucking stock.

90: Contestant horses.

50: Grand entry and flag horses.

100 to 120: Tons of hay fed to the stock.

70: Tons of grass.

75,000: Beers sold.

11,000: Hard-liquor cocktails.

15,000: Sodas.

26,000: Pizzas.

5,000: Orders of nachos.

6,800: Hot pretzels.

7,000: Orders of popcorn.

110: Man hours to complete work on the NFR World Champion’s Gold Buckle.

24: Carats in that buckle.

1: Pounds the buckle weighs.

$17,000: Cost of the buckle.

200,000: Visitors to Cowboy Christmas at Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall.

440,000: Square feet of show floor covered by Cowboy Christmas.

A little less than 400: Exhibitors at this year’s Cowboy Christmas.

53,000: Hotel rooms in Las Vegas when NFR opened here in 1985.

14 million: Visitors in the city.

150,000: Hotel rooms today.

41.1 million: Annual visitors in the most recent Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority count in 2014.

50-plus: NFR official sponsors.

8: Seconds required for a scoring ride in rough stock events.

8: Categories in which contestants in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant are judged, including horsemanship. Or horsewomanship, if you prefer.

42: Years since “The Great American Cowboy,” documenting Larry Mahan’s then-record sixth PRCA championship, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

295: Consecutive NFR sellouts at the Thomas & Mack dating to 1985.

1: Voting margin in 1984 that led to PRCA’s decision to move NFR from Oklahoma City to Las Vegas (the tiebreaking vote was cast my NFR President Shawn Davis, making it 7-6 in favor of Las Vegas).

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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