NFR ROUND 10...THE FINALS

BY GARY TURNER  gpturner62@msn.com

AND THEN IT WAS OVER....REALLY OVER.....OVER FOR LAS VEGAS ANYWAY.

THE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO CLOSED ITS 29TH YEAR FINALS AT THE THOMAS AND MACK CENTER ON THE UNLV CAMPUS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...... CLOSED ITS HISTORY IN LAS VEGAS.

SATURDAY NIGHT A RECORD CROWD OF 18,242 SAW THE FINALE FOR THE NEXT TO LAST TIME IN LAS VEGAS...(SUNDAY THE COLORADO SPRINGS BASED PRCA VOTED 9-3 TO MOVE TO FLORIDA FOR THE 2015 SEASON).

196,698 PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS SEASONS EVENTS....OVER 10,000 MORE THAN IN 2012.  THE ATTENDANCE COST OF AT LEAST $75 A TICKET FOR THE NEARLY 200,OOO COMES TO BALLPARK $15 MILLION....THAT WITH OUT ROOMS AND MEALS IN LAS VEGAS.....TRAVEL.....NO SMALL ECONOMIC EFFECT INDEED.

THERE IS NOTHING NEGATIVE TO BE SAID ABOUT THE PRCA...ITS ALL MONEY AND OCALA FLORIDA (DISNEYLAND) IS IN FOR 20 YEARS WITH A TEN YEAR BUYOUT....IT IS JUST HARD FOR LAS VEGAS TO LOSE THIS OR TO GIVE THE PRCA A BETTER DEAL.

I MISS IT ALREADY AND WE  HAVE A YEAR TO GO.

PRCA COMMISSIONER KARL STRESSMAN SAID, "THE PRCA BOARD DID NOT VOTE TO LEAVE LAS VEGAS; THE VOTE WAS MADE STRICTLY ON THE CONTENT OF THE CURRENT OFFER.  THE PRCA CONTINUES TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER OFFERS FROM ALL POTENTIAL WNFR HOSTS."   WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ?......THEY ARE LEAVING !

THE PRESIDENT OF LAS VEGAS EVENTS....PAT CHRISTENSON......  WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY AND PROMOTES THE NFR, CALLED THE MOVE "A BIG MISTAKE".    MISTAKE FOR ALL......ONE WOULD HAVE TO ASSUME FOR ALL INVOLVED AND CERTAINLY TO THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF LAS VEGAS.

THE 2015 NFR FINALS WILL BE AT THE ORLANDO MAGIC'S NBA ARENA AND THEN MOVE TO THE OSECOLA CONVENTION CENTER IN 2016......IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THE FLORIDA GROUP CAN PROVIDE 200,000 ROOMS AND FACILITIES WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE EVENT.

I SURE GLAD WE HAD THE NFR IN LAS VEGAS FOR 29 YEARS....ITS A FIRST CLASS WORLD CLASS EVENT WITH MEGA ORGANIZATION AND PROMOTION.....REPORTING ON THE RODEO IS MORE FUN THAN WORK.

THE RODEO...

NICE TOSEE MULTI YEAR CHAMPION CODY OHL GET A BREAK SATURDAY WITH HIS STEER CLEARING THE GATE AND OHL'S TIE DOWN TIME OF 8.6.....FRIDAYS BAD LUCK COST HIM THE CHAMPIONSHIP BY JUST $4000.

SHERRY CERVI FOUND OUT YOU COULD EARN $303,317 DOLLARS IN BARREL RACING IN 2013.

J W HARRIS OF MULLIN TEXAS WON $252,829 RIDING BULLS THIS SEASON.

TREVOR BRAZILE OF DECATUR TEXAS REMAINS THE WORLD BEST COWBOY.....ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE GREAT PEOPLE DOING GREAT THINGS.

THE SIGN OVER THE MIRAGE REMAINS IN OUR HEARTS....LONG LIVE COWBOYS.