Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas Rope Impressive Attendance Figures

LAS VEGAS

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which ran from Dec. 1 – 10, wrapped up its ten-day run at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas and The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas culminated after 10 straight days at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Both had impressive total attendance numbers.

For the Wrangler NFR, total attendance over the ten performances reached 173,350, up from 169,539 in 2021. The total attendance on the final performance on Dec. 10 was 17,788, the highest single-day attendance figure since 2014 which was prior to the renovation of the arena that decreased total seating capacity. Since the Wrangler NFR’s arrival in Las Vegas in 1985, total attendance for the 37 years at the Thomas & Mack Center has surpassed 6.3 million.

In addition to the rodeo action, the NFR Experience events up and down the Las Vegas Strip and downtown culminated on Saturday evening. Over the ten days of the Wrangler NFR, there were more than 80 concerts and 30 locations that offered NFR Live presented by Teton Ridge, the official satellite feed of the rodeo.

The action on the dirt was competitive and intense from start to finish, with 120 total contestants vying for the coveted PRCA Gold Buckle. At the end, the following earned the title of world champion: Jess Pope, bareback riding; Tyler Waguespack, steer wrestling; Kaleb Driggers (header) and Junior Nogueira (heeler), team roping; Zeke Thurston, saddle bronc riding; Caleb Smidt, tie-down roping; Hailey Kinsel, barrel racing and Stetson Wright, bull riding. Wright also claimed the All-Around title. For the full recap, click here. Video highlights are available here.

Meanwhile, the 10 days of shopping and entertainment at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas also culminated on Dec. 10. The official gift show of the Wrangler NFR featured more than 375 exhibitors from across the U.S. Total attendance at the South Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center – which incorporates both The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Hunter & Outdoor Christmas Expo – was 279,465, up from 241,522 in 2021. This also included the total attendance on Dec. 3 of 40,894, the highest single-day figure in the event’s history. Over the past 36 years, Cowboy Christmas has attracted more than 5.1 million attendees.

This year, the winners of the Best Booth Contest at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas were Hadlock Designs and Goldie Lew/Warbonnet. Each of the winning exhibitors will receive a prize package that includes a commemorative plaque, inclusion in NFR Experience social media channels as well as custom profiles in both NFR Rewind Magazine and the 2023 NFR Fan Guide. Finally, each winner will receive a $1,000 discount toward their 2023 booth renewal.

Known as the richest and most prestigious rodeo in the world, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in each event to compete for a share of the $10.9 million purse.

For more information on the Wrangler NFR and Cowboy Christmas, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest Pro Rodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit www.prorodeo.com or through social media at @PRCA_ProRodeo.