The MustAttend Rodeo

Much of the talk about the National Finals Rodeo focuses on the shopping, concerts, Vegas entertainment, and… more shopping. But the fact is this 10- day run in Las Vegas centers around the oldest cowboy sport known to the West: rodeo. From top-notch riders to enviable horses to the fast pace of every event during each performance, you’ll be kept on the edge of your seat in the Thomas and Mack Arena. Just leave your cell phone in your pocket—you won’t want to miss a tenth of a second.

The 10 nightly performances of the NFR focus squarely on what matters: the top 15 competitors in each of seven different events vying for paychecks and gold buckles.

Be in your seat at 6:45 p.m., sharp, so you don’t miss the exciting (and sometimes a little wild) grand entry, National Anthem, and devotion. The action won’t stop once the first bucking horse bursts from a chute until the last cowboy is launched from the final bull of the night.

Each performance has a theme (check nfrexper

ience.com for the list), and many have special acts to highlight rodeo’s support performers—trick riders, trick-trained horses, and trick ropers. After the rodeo lets out at 9 p.m. pack your patience for a trip back to the Vegas Strip to experience NFR nightlife. Many of the star-studded attractions are listed within the NFR Guide, which begins on page 39.