National Finals Rodeo 2011

  • On the lookout for buckle bunnies in Las Vegas

    On the lookout for buckle bunnies in Las Vegas

    December 9, 2011

    Light hits every rhinestone on her hips, and her hair swings in time to the click of heels that have never seen dirt. You can’t miss the cut of her jeans or the cinched-on hardware, which looks heavy, real, borrowed. Maybe she won it with her own sweat. But chances are she did what Buckle Bunnies do — charmed it off a cowboy.

  • The first night of the 53rd Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 1, 2011.

    Events guide: National Finals Rodeo 2011

    December 2, 2011

    In addition to all of the actual sporting events going on at the Thomas & Mack Center, the National Finals Rodeo brings a lot more boot-scootin’ fun. Grab your hats and boots and check out one of the many concerts, bar specials and autograph signings to enhance your NFR experience.

  • A  bull named "White Magic" is shown in a National Finals Rodeo livestock pen at UNLV's intramural fields Wednesday, November 23, 2011. The bucking bull from Diamond G Rodeos in Utah is one of the elite performers in the rodeo industry. The 10-year-old bull is making his seventh NFR appearance this year and has been cloned six times. White Magic has a buck-off percentage of over 93 percent according to the Diamond G website.

    Fierce and smart: White Magic is a bull to watch

    December 1, 2011

    Meet White Magic, the baddest buckin’ bull at the rodeo.

  • 2010 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Triple Crown champion Trevor Brazile.

    Take Five: Cowboys to watch at NFR this year

    December 1, 2011

    You probably already know which end of the cowboy is up, and which end of the bull is the pointy one. But if you’re like many Las Vegans, you don’t follow rodeo enough to know who’s who among the competitors who have journeyed here to compete in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Here’s a guide to five cowboys to watch:

  • Contestants are introduced at the start of the first go round of the National Finals Rodeo Thursday, December 2, 2010 at the Thomas & Mack.

    Rodeo 101: A basic primer for the NFR

    December 1, 2011

    The National Finals Rodeo — now formally the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo — has been held in Las Vegas since Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

  • Kristin Davis tries on boots at the nation's largest Boot Barn, on Las Vegas Boulevard South, housing 17,000 pairs, in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors.

    Shopping is an event of its own at NFR

    December 1, 2011

    Cowboys and cowgirls will have a herd of opportunities to stock up on boots, jeans, hats, accessories and memorabilia during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

  • Bareback rider Kaycee Feild braces himself and gives the OK to open the chute during the last night of the National Finals Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

    Resorts’ brands are all in for the go-round that is NFR

    December 1, 2011

    Bet you didn’t know that the volcano in front of the Mirage will become known as the world’s largest cowboy campfire for the next week and a half, or that Mandalay Bay is being transformed into “Cowboyville.” It’s all the result of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo coming to town.

  • Stripper: Just give cowboys a chance; they're really very nice

    Stripper: Just give cowboys a chance; they’re really very nice

    December 1, 2011

    My stripper friend is visiting from out of town to work with me. I warned her it’s going to be insane because the rodeo is in town. I’m genuinely excited about it this year, which is a lot different from the past.

  • Las Vegas music scene goes country for 10 days

    December 1, 2011

    If angry bulls and rodeo clowns aren’t your thing, but you still want to be a part of the excitement surrounding the National Finals Rodeo, try a concert from one of country music’s biggest artists. With more than a dozen shows in 10 days — from classics to contemporaries — it may be hard to pick a favorite. Here are the Sun’s best bets.

Past National Finals Rodeos

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