–All 2020 Majors Airing on CBS Television Network–
AUSTIN, TEXAS – The World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) recently announced that the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo (DO47) has joined the WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo (TCR). The TCR is an annual bonus that will pay $1,000,000 to any one athlete or collection of athletes whom wins first place in any three consecutive WCRA $1 Million Major Rodeos.
“Having Days of ‘47 join the Triple Crown of Rodeo is another example of how we strive to lift the entire sport of Rodeo,” said WCRA President Bobby Mote. “Having them on board with the Triple Crown of Rodeo is just the start as we plan to continue to align more major rodeos on the TCR platform.”
The DO47 already joins three major rodeos where athletes can qualify for the TCR $1,000,000 bonus, beginning in Kansas City, Missouri for the Royal City Roundup on February 28. The Kansas City event will be followed by the May 17 Stampede at The E in Guthrie, Oklahoma and now the Day of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo July 21-25 in Salt Lake City. The 2020 series is scheduled to wrap-up in Tacoma, Washington on August 28 with the Puget Sound Showdown. The Kansas City and Tacoma events will be paired with the 2020 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast tour with all WCRA majors airing on the CBS Television Network. (The full CBS broadcast is below and is subject to change.)
“2019’s rodeo renaissance converted new fans and generated big numbers in mainstream media with over 3.1 million unique viewers tuning into the Titletown Stampede, The Days of ’47, and the Calgary Stampede,” said Sean Gleason, CEO, PBR. “The TCR platform will only continue to grow as the WCRA unites major events together – with athletes in pursuit of the $1,000,000 bonus at every event.”
The $1.125 million Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo takes place at the state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark each July. The Days of ’47 Rodeo is one of Utah’s longest-standing traditions celebrating the states heritage since 1847. For only the sixth time in the history of rodeo, riders will have an opportunity to compete for gold, silver or bronze medals at the 2020 Salt Lake City event along with a $125,000 guaranteed payout per discipline.
“In the visionary tradition of the Utah pioneers, the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo is proud to once again be a part of history making opportunities for the rodeo contestants, partners and the fans,” said DO47 General Manager Tommy Joe Lucia. “This is a very bright time in the history of professional rodeo and we are proud to be a part of it.”
The TCR bonus will be available to all athletes from around the globe who nominate their current rodeo efforts through the WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) and are crowned champions at three consecutive WCRA Major Rodeos.
This revolutionary annual incentive is not limited to just the WCRA 2020 season, rather, it allows athletes to rack up wins on a rolling calendar basis. This means athletes’ three consecutive wins can cross calendar years, however, the $1,000,000 bonus will only be paid one time annually. If two or more athletes achieve this milestone at the same time, the bonus will be split.
Since launching in May of 2018, the WCRA and its partners have awarded more than $5,700,000 in new money to rodeo athletes. All rodeo athletes interested in learning more about the WCRA or the VRQ should be directed to wcrarodeo.com.
The complete 2020 schedule of WCRA events can be found below. All times subject to change.
DATE | Event | TIME(ET) | NETWORK |
Feb. 29 | Royal City Roundup | 12:30 | CBS |
May. 17 | Stampede At The E | 1:30 | CBS |
July 26 | Days of ’47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo | 1:00 | CBS |
Aug. 29 | Puget Sound Showdown | TBD | CBS |
Watch the full press conference here: