Pro Rodeo will rock New Town
Best of the best will be on display Father’s Day Weekend
By Jerry W. Kram
“This may be the most rodeo talent in one spot in North Dakota for decades.”
That’s the opinion of Shane Gunderson of Bailey Pro Rodeo, the main stock contractor for the 2020 New Town PRCA Rodeo on June 19 and 20. Because the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all sorts of public events including rodeo earlier in the year, New Town is one of just three PRCA rodeos scheduled for that weekend and it is drawing the majority of the country’s best cowboys.
Starting at 6 p.m. each night, more than 200 cowboys will be competing at the New Town Rodeo Grounds Friday and Saturday. Gunderson said 259 cowboys in total applied with 98 competitors entered the saddle bronc division alone, but only 64 were accepted to compete, including 22 of the top 30 cowboys in the PRCA standings.
“It’s going to be huge, bareback riding, bronc riding and bull riding, we got them all,” Gunderson said. “I counted this morning and 42 of the competitors in those three events have been to the National Finals Rodeo. I think it will one of the biggest rodeos that North Dakota has seen in a long time. There are a couple of big rodeos on the Fourth of July, but even those rodeos don’t get that many NFR guys to come at one time. We will never have the opportunity again to have this many great cowboys in the arena in New Town at one time.”
