The American Semi-Finals Rodeo kicks off week long celebration

The American Semi-Finals Rodeo held in historic Fort Worth Stockyards will kick off a week long celebration of the Western lifestyle that is unlike any other. 

Free entertainment for fans of all ages will be available in the Fan Zone prior to the three action-packed rodeo performances which begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 – 17. Nearly 3,500 rodeo contestants from around the world have competed at qualifying events hoping to advance to The American Semi-Finals where nearly $1 million in prize money will be paid.

The best contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding will leave Fort Worth with a good paycheck. They will also earn a chance to compete at RFD-TV’s The American presented by Polaris RANGER on Sunday, Feb. 19 at AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington.

Many of today’s top rodeo athletes are already on the semi-finals contestant roster. Nowhere else will fans be able to watch seasoned veterans and top rodeo stars going up against high school and college rodeo champions as well as other young up-and-coming athletes.

When rodeo contestants compete for a year, qualify for a championship event and win it, they get a gold buckle to mark their accomplishment. Will Lowe, from Canyon, Texas, and Steven Peebles, from Redmond, Oregon, have both earned buckles in the bareback riding and are on the contestant roster for Fort Worth.

The steer wrestling also features two former world champions, Dean Gorsuch from Gering, Nebraska, and Hunter Cure from Holliday, Texas. Team roping, a very popular event across the nation, has more former world champions competing at the Semi-Finals than any other event.

They include headers Chad Masters from Cedar Hill, Tennessee; Aaron Tsinigine from Tuba City, Arizona; Matt Sherwood from Pima, Arizona, and Nick Sartain from Dover, Oklahoma. On the heeling end, Rich Skelton, from Llano, Texas, and Kollin VonAhn from Blanchard, Oklahoma, will be roping.

Tie-down roping world champion Monty Lewis from Hereford, Texas, and barrel racing titlist Lindsay Sears from Nanton, Alberta, are also on the roster. In the bull riding, four-time world champion J.W. Harris from Mullin, Texas and Cody Teel from Kountze, Texas, will be favorites to move on.

“The American Semi-Finals might be one of the best rodeos of the year,” Lewis said. “When they added the $500,000 to the pot, they really upped the ante and gave us an incentive to come rope there. Qualifying for The American would just be the icing on the cake.”

The combination of rodeo action, the FanZone in the Stockyards, live music and the overall theme of patriotism that will be evident at every performance is sure to make this a great event for contestants and fans alike. The three performances of The American Semi-Finals will be broadcast on Rural Radio, SiriusXM Chanel 147. ~ RFDTV Media