A Mix of Traditional Favorites and New Attractions

RENO, Nev. (May 11, 2016) – The “Wildest Richest Rodeo in the West” kicks off a 10-day, action-packed western celebration with family fun and special events for all ages from Thursday, June 16 to Saturday, June 25. A complete 2016 Reno Rodeo schedule is available at www.renorodeo.com/events.

Regular Reno Rodeo fans and those new to the rodeo won’t want to miss out on popular performances, as well as new attractions this year. A few rodeo favorites and new highlights this year include:

Reno Rodeo Kickoff Concert with Billy Currington Presented by Cumulus – June 15
For the second year in a row, the Reno Rodeo and K-Bull 98.1 FM are teaming up for the Reno Rodeo Kickoff Concert, bringing country star Billy Currington to the Reno Rodeo Outdoor Arena along with label mate Canaan Smith and “The Voice” alumni Rudy Parris.Currington is a Grammy-nominated and platinum selling artist who has celebrated nine number one career singles including “Hey Girl,” “Must Be Doin’ Something Right,” “People Are Crazy,” “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer” and “That’s How Country Boys Roll.” Tickets are available through www.kbul.com or in person at the Lawlor Events Center box office located at 1664 N. Virginia Street. Advance ticket prices are $45.50 for general admission floor and $35.50 for reserved grandstand seating. Tickets will also be available day of on the Rodeo Grounds for an additional $5 per ticket. Don’t miss Billy Currington Wednesday, June 15 at 7 p.m.

ADDED EVENT* Mutton Bustin’ – June 16-June 25
This family friendly event is always a crowd favorite. Mutton Bustin’ is for eight young aspiring cowboys and cowgirls to get their boots on the ground of the rodeo arena each night. Participants ages five to seven will mount their sheep, hold on tight and ride out across the grand arena for as long as they can hold on. They may be small, but they are not faint of heart. Due to an overwhelming amount of applications, a bonus round of Mutton Bustin’ has been added during the Reno Rodeo Kids’ Day on Saturday, June 18, at noon inside the indoor pavilion. One hundred new spots will be available for registration exclusively at the 2016 Rodeo Parade at 10 a.m. on June 18.

Xtreme Bull Riding – Thursday, June 16
A crowd favorite, this high-energy main event fills the seats and aims to please with rock ‘n’ roll music, fireworks and some of the best bull riders from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) competing for a prize purse of $40,000. Xtreme Bull Riding is one night only, June 18 at 9 p.m., but the competitive Bull Riding continues throughout the remainder of the rodeo June 17 – 25 as the final event each evening. Bull Riders are judged on their form, overall ride and ability to stay on the animal.

PRCA Pro Rodeo Performance – June 17-June 25
Following a night of Xtreme Bulls on Thursday, June 16, is nine nights of professional rodeo action including bareback, team roping, saddle bronc, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, women’s barrel racing and bull riding. In addition to seeing the top PRCA cowboys compete in the exhilarating nightly performance, fans will see local events like Mutton Bustin’ and Businessman’s Steer Decorating, specialty acts like horse trainer Bobby Kerr, Jason Goodman’s Percheron Thunder and more.

Businessman Steer Decorating – June 17-June 25
The business community gets their cowboy on and participates in a fun and interactive event nightly at the Reno Rodeo. The Businessman Steer Decorating competition has 12 teams of two enter the area and do their best to tie a ribbon on the tail of their steer. One teammate (the mugger) will hold the steer while the other (the tier) tries to decorate the steer. Applications are due May 27 at 5 p.m. and available online at www.renorodeo.com/events/2016/businessman-steer-decorating. The fee to participate is $100 and businesses that sponsor this event will be announced as their team competes. Businessman Steer Decorating is held every night of the rodeo, from June 17 – 25.

NEW ROUTE* Reno Rodeo Parade – Saturday, June 18
The 2016 Reno Rodeo Parade has a new route this year heading north on Virginia St. from Arroyo through Midtown an up to Liberty St. The parade begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 18 and all are welcome to watch or participate. This family-friendly event will feature cowboys and cowgirls on horseback, various Reno community groups and organizations, and three “Young Gun” Grand Marshals; Billy Paganetti of the Peppermill Reno and Western Village, Anthony Carano of Eldorado Resorts and David Farahi of the Atlantis. The 2016 Reno Rodeo parade will also be the exclusive location to register for the bonus round of Mutton Bustin’ set for Kids’ Day, with 100 extra Mutton Bustin’ spots up for grabs. Reno Rodeo Parade applications are due no later than June 1 and available at www.renorodeo.com/events/2016/parade.

Extreme Mustang Makeover and Wild Horse Adoption – June 18-19
The Extreme Mustang Makeover and Wild Horse Adoption returns to the Reno Rodeo for two-days June 18 and 19. This special event shows what horse trainers are truly capable of when working with a wild mustang. After 100 days of training, horse and rider perform a choreographed routine in the arena and compete for a piece of the $20,000 purse. The purpose of this event is to demonstrate the learned skill and strength of these wild horses, all of which are available for adoption. The finals take place Sunday, June 19 at 1 p.m. with the adoption event immediately following.

NEW EVENT* Bullfighters Only – June 19-22
Those who attend the Reno Rodeo Sunday, June 19 through Wednesday, June 22 can see professional freestyle bullfighters compete when Bullfighters Only enter the arena. No bulls are harmed in a freestyle bullfight, where the bullfighter goes one-on-one against a bull for 70 seconds, employing spectacular maneuvers like jumping over a charging bull. The bullfighter is judged on his willingness to expose himself to risk and on his aggressiveness. His objective is to stay as close as he can to the bull throughout the fight. Like the riders, the bullfighters score higher when the bull is more aggressive. Three Bullfighters Only contenders will compete each night for three nights. The winners of each night will compete in the championship on Wednesday, June 22.

For more information about events and tickets for the 97thannual Reno Rodeo, June 16-25, 2016, visit www.renorodeo.com. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Lawlor Events Center box office. For ticket information only, call 775-784-4444. To order tickets by phone, call 800-325-7328.

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About the Reno Rodeo
The Reno Rodeo is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctioned sporting event, and one of the top five rodeos in North America. Reno Rodeo is a non-profit organization made up of more than 500 volunteers. Competition includes bareback, team roping, saddle bronc, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, women’s barrel racing and bull riding. Like Reno Rodeo on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or for more information on the Reno Rodeo, visit www.renorodeo.com.