Wrangler Rodeo Arena, one of the six main interactive features of The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas, will host more than 800 youth contestants in the YETI Junior World Finals vying for championships in nine events. The YETI Junior World Finals will run concurrently with The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo?, Dec. 7 – 16.
Free to the public, The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas will be open daily from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center in both South and Central Halls. For the first time, the Wrangler Rodeo Arena will be located in Central Hall, within the footprint of Junior World Finals Rodeo & More.
Wrangler Rodeo Arena, which boasts a seating capacity of more than 1,200, will host a variety of events and competitions. The YETI Junior World Finals will feature contestants 19-years-old and younger competing in many of the events the pros take part in at the Thomas & Mack Center, including bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, girls and boys breakaway, team roping, tie-down roping, pole bending and barrel racing.
The roughstock events will run from Dec. 7-10, with the Finals for these events set for Monday, Dec. 11. The timed events will then run from Dec. 12-15, culminating with the Finals on Saturday, Dec. 16.
For more information on the YETI Junior World Finals and a full schedule, click here or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR.
Daily admission is $10. For $40, attendees can purchase a five-day pass for the dates of Dec. 7-11 or Dec. 12-16. Access to the Priefert Platform will be $20 per day for each of the ten days of competition. Admission is based on seating availability.
In addition to Wrangler Rodeo Arena, The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas will include the following main anchor displays and programming elements:
Ariat Rodeo Live Stage (South Hall, Level 2) – The daily programming kicks off each day with Live with Lucia with host Anthony Lucia starting at 10:30 a.m. Cowboy Conservation with host Shane Minor and Flint Rasmussen in Outside the Barrel continue at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. The RMEF Calcutta caps the day starting at 1:30 p.m.
Ranch Water Rodeo Saloon (South Hall, Level 2) – Every great “rodeo” needs a saloon. Located near the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage, the Ranch Water Rodeo Saloon features specialty drinks.
NFR After Dark presented by Community Coffee (South Hall, Level 2) – This customized area features Cloud Touch units promoting all aspects of the NFR Experience and how fans can engage at the 28 sponsor hotels.
Returning for the second year will be Cowboy Christmas Village sponsored by Clint Orms (South Hall, Level 2). This festive area will include Christmas trees, daily appearances by Santa Claus from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and an area for kids to write a letter to Santa and drop it in a special mailbox. In addition, there will be photo walls to share your experience with family and friends.
Bites and Brews (South Hall, Level 2 and Central Hall) – A series of custom food and beverage carts will be located in both halls for attendees to enjoy a variety of vendors to satisfy any appetite.
The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas is one of the daily highlights when the Wrangler NFR is in town. Sold out for more than 350 consecutive performances in Las Vegas, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding. Under the contract with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association that runs through 2025, the purse in 2023 is more than $11.5 million. Qualification is based on the 2023 PRCA World Standings.
For more information on The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and the Wrangler NFR, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at @LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest ProRodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit prorodeo.com or through social media @PRCA_ProRodeo.