The International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) is the second-largest American

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

organization in the world. It sanctions rodeos in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the International Finals Rodeo (IFR), held every January. The IPRA is headquartered in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

History

The association was formed in 1957 as the Interstate Rodeo Association. At the end of that same year, it named its first world champions. However, world champions would not be crowned again until 1960. In 1961, it became the first rodeo organization to recognize cowgirls’ barrel racing as a world championship event in a predominantly male rodeo. In 1964, the Interstate Rodeo Association changed its name to the International Rodeo Association. That same year, it set its headquarters in

Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Pauls Valley is a city in and the county seat of Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,992 at the 2020 census, a decline of 3.2 percent from the figure of 6,187 in 2010. It was settled by and named for Smith Paul, a North ...

and created a Board of Governors, which consisted of performers, producers, fans, contestants, and contractors. In February 1971, the association debuted the International Finals Rodeo (IFR) to determine the world champions in each rodeo event. It was the finals event for the 1970 season, and was held at the

Tulsa Assembly Center The Cox Business Convention Center (formerly the Tulsa Assembly Center, Tulsa Convention Center, and Maxwell Convention Center) is a 310,625 square foot convention center located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Cox Business Convention Center ( ...

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, where it remained the home of the IFR through 1973. In 1974, the IFR relocated to

Tingley Coliseum Tingley Coliseum is an 11,571-seat multi-purpose arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally built as a rodeo and horse show auditorium, it is located at 300 San Pedro Drive N.E. It was home to the Albuquerque Six-Guns and New Mexico Scorpions i ...

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

. In 1975, the event returned to Tulsa, where it remained through 1990. After the IFR celebrated its 20th anniversary, the association announced that they had signed a multi-year agreement with the Oklahoma City All Sports Association to hold the event in the city’s

Myriad Convention Center Prairie Surf Studios (originally Myriad Convention Center and later Cox Convention Center) is a film production complex located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was formerly a convention center and the home of several minor league teams. ...

beginning in January 1991. In 1997, the IFR moved to Oklahoma City’s State Fair Arena where it took place through 2002. The city’s recently opened Ford Center hosted the IFR in 2003. The event then returned to the State Fair Arena in 2004, where it remained through 2019. The IFR moved to the Lazy E Arena in

Guthrie, Oklahoma Guthrie is a city and county seat in Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 10,191 at the 2010 census, a 2.7 percent increase from the figure of 9,925 in the 2000 census. First kno ...

in 2020 during its 50th year, where it remains today. In 1983, the organization was renamed the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA). In April 1993, the IPRA changed its Pauls Valley, Oklahoma headquarters to Oklahoma City, adjacent to the city’s historic stockyards.

Organization

The IPRA has been sanctioning rodeos for over 60 years in cities of all sizes. It sanctions almost 300 rodeos throughout the country, making it the second largest organization in the sport. The association is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Montana Silversmiths Montana Silversmiths is a buckles and jewelry products seller located in Columbus, Montana. They produce the hand-engraved trophy belt buckles that are awarded to the winners of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo each year. History Montana Silv ...

partners with the IPRA and provides their belt buckles and is recognized as the "Official Silversmiths of the IPRA." The IPRA is registered on

Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and ma ...

. The IPRA announced on August 28, 2019, that the IFR would now be held at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Additionally, the Miss Rodeo USA pageant is held at the IFR every year. The Miss Rodeo USA Association has represented the IFR for over five decades. Since 2016, the IFR has been streamed live on the Wrangler Network application.

IPRA events

Bareback bronc riding Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse (sometimes called a ''bronc'' or ''bronco'') that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally ba ...

Breakaway roping Breakaway roping is a variation of calf roping where a calf is roped, but not thrown and tied. It is a rodeo event that features a calf and one mounted rider. The calves are moved one at a time through narrow runs leading to a chute with spring ...

Steer wrestling Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event in which a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer, then wrestles the steer to the ground by grabbing its horns and pulling it off-balance so that it falls ...

Team roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a steer (typically a Corriente) and two mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around ...

Saddle bronc riding Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse (sometimes called a ''bronc'' or ''bronco'') that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally ba ...

Tie-down roping Calf roping, also known as tie-down roping, is a rodeo event that features a calf and a rider mounted on a horse. The goal of this timed event is for the rider to catch the calf by throwing a loop of rope from a lariat around its neck, dismount ...

Barrel racing Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur a ...

Bull riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To recei ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Website
Rodeo organizations Organizations based in Oklahoma City Sports in Oklahoma City

History

Organization

IPRA events

See also

References

External links