STEPHENVILLE (April 12, 2017) — Area rodeo fans can enjoy three days of fast-paced action, April 20-22, when the 52nd annual Tarleton Stampede comes to Lone Star Arena.
The event serves as the season finale for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s (NIRA) Southwest Region, and determines which cowboys and cowgirls earn a trip to the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) slated for June 11- 17 in Casper, Wyo.
Seventeen colleges from across the region will compete in nine events: bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, breakaway roping and goat tying.
Award-winning announcer Ben Clements returns, and Mitch Terrell’s TNT Rodeo Co. serves as stock contractor.
Both of the Tarleton men’s and women’s teams currently lead the Southwest Region standings, with the cowboys having 4,212.33 points and the cowgirls collecting 2,280 points during the spring rodeo schedule.
The Tarleton men’s team has a 1,210-point lead over Western Texas College (3,002) heading into this weekend’s NIRA Southwest Region finale, while the women lead Eastern New Mexico by 530 points.
Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the rodeo slack slated for 8:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Admission is $10 per day for adults. Children under 10 are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the Lone Star Arena gate.
For more information about Tarleton’s rodeo program, contact head rodeo coach Mark Eakin at 254-968-9187. Current NIRA Southwest Region standings can be found online at www.collegerodeo.com/standings/2014-2015-southwest-region-standings/.
About Tarleton State Rodeo: A Winning Tradition
Tarleton’s renowned rodeo program is known for having some of the toughest and most talented student competitors among NIRA members. Competing for the purple and white under the motto, “A Winning Tradition,” Tarleton’s rodeo teams have won seven national championship titles, 24 individual national championships and numerous NIRA Southwest Region titles since the program was established in 1947. In 2016-17, Tarleton boasted one of the largest collegiate rodeo teams in the nation with 128 card-holding student members. To learn more about Tarleton State University’s rodeo teams, visit www.tarleton.edu/rodeo.
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