National Finals Rodeo 2012

Past National Finals Rodeos
  • Bareback rider Clint Cannon hangs on to Joy Ride during the last night of the National Finals Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

    Las Vegas’ gold buckle — the NFR — is likely here to stay

    December 1, 2011

    By John Katsilometes

    The contract that keeps the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, where it has been hosted since it was corralled from Oklahoma City in 1985, is due to expire after the 2014 event.

  • On the lookout for buckle bunnies in Las Vegas

    On the lookout for buckle bunnies in Las Vegas

    December 9, 2011

    By Erin Ryan

    Light hits every rhinestone on her hips, and her hair swings in time to the click of heels that have never seen dirt. You can’t miss the cut of her jeans or the cinched-on hardware, which looks heavy, real, borrowed. Maybe she won it with her own sweat. But chances are she did what Buckle Bunnies do — charmed it off a cowboy.

  • A bull named "White Magic" is shown in a National Finals Rodeo livestock pen at UNLV's intramural fields Wednesday, November 23, 2011. The bucking bull from Diamond G Rodeos in Utah is one of the elite performers in the rodeo industry. The 10-year-old bull is making his seventh NFR appearance this year and has been cloned six times. White Magic has a buck-off percentage of over 93 percent according to the Diamond G website.

    Fierce and smart: White Magic is a bull to watch

    December 1, 2011

    By Tom Gorman

    Meet White Magic, the baddest buckin’ bull at the rodeo.

  • 2010 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Triple Crown champion Trevor Brazile.

    Take Five: Cowboys to watch at NFR this year

    December 1, 2011

    By Michael Squires

    You probably already know which end of the cowboy is up, and which end of the bull is the pointy one. But if you’re like many Las Vegans, you don’t follow rodeo enough to know who’s who among the competitors who have journeyed here to compete in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Here’s a guide to five cowboys to watch:

  • Contestants are introduced at the start of the first go round of the National Finals Rodeo Thursday, December 2, 2010 at the Thomas & Mack.

    Rodeo 101: A basic primer for the NFR

    December 1, 2011

    Ric Anderson

    The National Finals Rodeo — now formally the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo — has been held in Las Vegas since Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

  • Kristin Davis tries on boots at the nation's largest Boot Barn, on Las Vegas Boulevard South, housing 17,000 pairs, in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors.

    Shopping is an event of its own at NFR

    December 1, 2011

    By Steve Green

    Cowboys and cowgirls will have a herd of opportunities to stock up on boots, jeans, hats, accessories and memorabilia during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

  • Bareback rider Kaycee Feild braces himself and gives the OK to open the chute during the last night of the National Finals Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

    Resorts’ brands are all in for the go-round that is NFR

    December 1, 2011

    By Richard N. Velotta

    Bet you didn’t know that the volcano in front of the Mirage will become known as the world’s largest cowboy campfire for the next week and a half, or that Mandalay Bay is being transformed into “Cowboyville.” It’s all the result of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo coming to town.

  • Stripper: Just give cowboys a chance; they're really very nice

    Stripper: Just give cowboys a chance; they’re really very nice

    December 1, 2011

    "Justice"

    My stripper friend is visiting from out of town to work with me. I warned her it’s going to be insane because the rodeo is in town. I’m genuinely excited about it this year, which is a lot different from the past.

  • Las Vegas music scene goes country for 10 days

    December 1, 2011

    By Kyle Ellis

    If angry bulls and rodeo clowns aren’t your thing, but you still want to be a part of the excitement surrounding the National Finals Rodeo, try a concert from one of country music’s biggest artists. With more than a dozen shows in 10 days — from classics to contemporaries — it may be hard to pick a favorite. Here are the Sun’s best bets.

  • No surprise here: Cowboys want steak, potatoes on menus

    December 1, 2011

    By Sarah Feldberg

    The Strip is no stranger to setting the menu when tens of thousands of cowboys and their fans come to town. “The food they like is simple and straightforward,” MGM Grand director of food and beverage Jerry Box says. “Meat and potatoes. They like less vegetables and no sides, no salads and larger-portion steaks. So, that’s pretty much what we do across the board.”

  • Bareback rider Clint Cannon hangs on to Joy Ride during the last night of the National Finals Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

    NFR+ Las Vegas = Cowboy Town USA?

    November 25, 2011

    In just a few days, Las Vegas puts on its hat and boots and becomes the epicenter of the cowboy universe — what do you think?