By Wendy Kyle

Recently, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has taken unprecedented measures to increase the popularity of its sport. No longer content to take a back seat to other professional sports, the PRCA is aggressively pursuing avenues that will raise professional rodeo to the next level. The PRCA has a new, highly qualified commissioner, a charismatic new superstar, and, in Houston, a new stadium in the works that is sure to create fresh enthusiasm for a cherished local tradition.

In the top spot of the PRCA organization, Steve Hatchell brings strong leadership and solid business experience to the association. His résumé includes serving as the executive director of the Orange Bowl and as commissioner of both the Big 12 and Southwest conferences. Hatchell is no stranger to the spotlight, and he hopes to bring the same star power into the rodeo arena.

"Rodeo is an unbelievable sport, and, even though there is enormous competition for the entertainment dollar, we are only limited by our imagination on what we can do for this sport," Hatchell said. "Rodeo is very well-grounded, so now we need to develop a team that believes we can go anywhere and do anything."

One of the most important aspects of promoting the PRCA is increasing exposure to the sport by utilizing the media. Because rodeo has a dual function — a business operation and a sports venue — Hatchell realizes that without the proper amount of national attention, the PRCA will not attain a higher status within the sports industry. Hatchell strives to introduce rodeo to audiences who have never experienced the excitement of watching a thrilling bull ride or witnessed the challenge of calf roping.

One of the first major innovations to evolve under Hatchell's regime was the new ProRodeo Winter Tour, comprised of a series of eight rodeos, culminating in a Tour Finale. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo agreed that the RODEOHOUSTON™ finals would be part of the tour, which also included Denver; Rapid City, S.D.; San Antonio; Tucson, Ariz.; Laughlin, Nev.; and Red Bluff, Calif.; and concluded in Lufkin, Texas, on April 29, 2000.

PRCA board members Bob Thain and Jimmy Powers visited with Steve Hatchell, PRCA Commissioner, behind the chutes during a performance of the Houston Rodeo.

 

Contestants qualify for the Tour Finale by earning points in the short go-round of the eight designated tour rodeos. The top 10 competitors in the tour standings in seven rodeo events advance to the Tour Finale, which will be held June 8-10, 2000, in Las Vegas. The short go-round of the eight tour rodeos is televised on TNN during prime time. Plans are being finalized for a summer tour, which will include a minimum of 15 telecasts on ESPN2.

"Undoubtedly, television is the key to gaining exposure," Hatchell explained. "If people can't get out to attend PRCA events, we will bring the PRCA into their living rooms. Our athletes have so much to offer. No audience would be disappointed after watching a PRCA rodeo."

As the current All-Around World Champion of this evolving association, Fred Whitfield has the rare opportunity to represent the PRCA as it explodes into the new century. Whitfield readily accepts the responsibilities of being a superstar athlete, role model and local hero. He shares with Hatchell the vision of increasing

PRCA recognition and creating a new fan base for professional rodeo.

"The PRCA has had great leadership over the years, but we have never had the right amount of exposure until recently," Whitfield said. "We are taking a really aggressive attack to attract the big-time sponsors. Steve Hatchell is doing a great job getting that done. He has the intelligence and strong business background to take us where we want to go.

"The talent is here. We just need the right representation, and top rodeo cowboys will become household names. The general public has never had the opportunity to really identify with professional cowboys, and that is what we want to change. We have a lot to offer the sports community, and we are ready to stand up and make it happen."

Hatchell fully supports Whitfield's achievements and dynamic success, and he is quick to point out the important role Whitfield will play in generating widespread attention to the professional rodeo community. "Whitfield is a tremendous ambassador of the sport," Hatchell explains. "He is smart and immensely talented. We will not be able to measure the effect he has on this sport accurately for another three or four years. He has his own following; he is the threshold of this sport. If there was ever a time to underscore the depth of the cowboy, that time is now."

Growing up in the Cypress-Fairbanks area right outside of Houston gives Whitfield, also the 2000 RODEOHOUSTON champion calf roper, a unique perspective on the relationship between the PRCA and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. "Houston has always been an exciting stop on our [PRCA] tour," Whitfield said. "The fans and local support are amazing. I have competed in Houston 11 times, and it is, no doubt, the most difficult to win, but it is definitely one of the best rodeos on the tour. Over the next few years, it should only get better."

 

Steve Hatchell, PRCA Commissioner; Fred Whitfield, reigning PRCA All-Around Cowboy; and Dan Gattis, Show general manager, participated in the groundbreaking ceremonies for the new rodeo/football stadium.

 

On March 9, 2000, the Show participated in the groundbreaking of a new stadium at the Astrodome complex that will house a professional football team beginning in 2002 and RODEOHOUSTON in 2003. The stadium will seat 69,500 and will be the first rodeo/football stadium to have a retractable roof. "The new stadium is incredible, and Houston will be the home of the finest rodeo facility in the country," Hatchell said. "Houston has done so much to create a knowledgeable fan base and unmatched community support. It would be impossible for the PRCA to not have a great relationship with Houston.

"Overall, the PRCA has an immense amount of respect for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo," Hatchell continued. "The respect spreads in many directions. The board has some of the finest leaders in any organization in America. The entire rodeo industry needs to capitalize on the energy and expertise in Houston."

Show Assistant Manager Lori Renfrow agrees. "Our working relationship with the PRCA is excellent. We want the same thing — to take the sport as high and as far as it can go. We know that one of the ways to achieve that is to focus on the contestants and their needs. The Show has made that a priority. We feature the best contestants, we have the biggest payout and we try to ensure that the Houston public knows who the contestants are."

From the arena to the television screen, the PRCA is making changes. The athletes are ready to take their rightful place in sports history, gracing the covers of magazines and giving interviews on national television. In addition, the PRCA is counting on Houston to attract the media spotlight on the largest indoor rodeo every year. The new stadium is one example of how the Show is dedicated to align itself with the PRCA to rocket professional rodeo into the 21st century.

"We are focused on increasing our support on all levels with the PRCA," Renfrow said. "The PRCA has great competitors and great entertainers, and Houston wants to feature these professional athletes with the best show and amenities possible."

Evidently, the PRCA reciprocates the high expectations. The relationship continues to develop between both organizations. PRCA and Show leaders work in tandem to influence the sport they represent. The Show invites only the best PRCA athletes to compete every year. In turn, the PRCA relies on the Show to host the most notable competition in the industry.

"Television, the new tour and the Houston leadership are the architects of the new PRCA. Houston has what it takes to bring the rodeo to the people," Hatchell said. "Houston has the leadership, a dedicated community and strong ties to rodeo. Houston has it all."