WCRA’s FIRST EVENT TO AIR LIVE ON RIDE TV AND RIDEPASS DIGITAL NETWORK

Produced By PBR, Coverage to Bring Fans Five Hours of Live Championship Rodeo

World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) is today announcing live coverage of its WCRA Rodeo Showdown at Helldorado Days on cable network RIDE TV and the new RidePass digital streaming network. The two-day event, May 5-6^th at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, will be produced by Professional Bull Riders (PBR) in conjunction with PBR’s Last Cowboy Standing (May 4-5^th at Thomas & Mack Center).  

PBR, which exclusively represents WCRA’s media rights, brokered the deal with RIDE TV and will produce this weekend’s simulcast featuring top athletes including Lisa Lockhart (Barrel Racing), Tuf Cooper (Tie-Down Roping), Kaycee Feild (Bareback Riding), Trevor Brazile (Team Roping), Ryder Wright (Saddle Bronc Riding), and Sage Kimzey and Jess Lockwood (Bull Riding), and Tyler Pearson (Steer Wrestling).

Live coverage of the event, a professional rodeo with a new format and $400,000 purse, will begin at 4:45 pm ET with an exclusive RidePass pre-show. The live simulcast of the event on RidePass and RIDE TV will air from 5:00-7:30 pm ET.

Justin McBride (2x PBR World Champion) will serve as play-by-play announcer with Luke Branquihno (5x PRCA World Champion) providing timed events color analysis and Cody Lambert as rough stock color analyst. Kate Harrison and Anthony Lucia will serve as sideline reporters for the simulcast.

The WCRA Rodeo Showdown at Helldorado Days will include the seven standard disciplines of rodeo (Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Tie-Down Roping, Barrel Racing, and Bull Riding). In a unique and progressive format uncommon in rodeo, no scores will carry forward and the field of athletes will be cut in half after each round until there are only two athletes remaining. The final two athletes in each discipline will compete head-to-head in the Showdown Round for the $25,000 top prize.

“Creating more coverage for rodeo was one of the main reasons for partnering with PBR,” said Gary McKinney, CEO, WCRA. “It’s an understatement to say we are very excited about the first-ever WCRA rodeo.”

The WCRA Rodeo Showdown will follow an unprecedented industry summit on May 4^th at South Point in Las Vegas. WCRA will share its vision in aligning with PBR to create new opportunities for the rodeo industry and will make several associated announcements, including a process for western sports athletes to self-nominate for an opportunity to win $6 million in annual prize money through new rodeo events to be unveiled. ~ WCRA Media