CC Fair Brings A New All-Star Rodeo Bonus

Moapa Valley Progress

The Clark County Fair and Rodeo is one of three new hosts for the Wrangler Champions Challenge, an all-star rodeo event that will bring the top rodeo stars in the world to Logandale.

In the Champions Challenge, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is showcasing its top competitors through a series of all-star rodeos. Each tour stop is a single-performance rodeo that offers a $124,000 purse.

A Champions Challenge performance resembles a round at December’s National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas.
“It brings together the top eleven competitors in the country for each event to go head-to-head for one night,” said Clark County Fair Manager Kevin Willard. “It will be like going to the NFR only at a much more reasonable price.”

Logandale is the third stop this year in the 2015 tour of the Champions Challenge. Earlier this month, the Challenge took place in Rapid City, South Dakota.
At that event, Bareback Riding Champion Jake Vold took home $5440, winning with an 85 point ride on Black Feather.

Luke Branquinho took home the $5440 prize for steer wrestling, bringing down his steer in only 3.8 seconds.

The roping team of Clay Tryan and Jade Corkill got a lightning fast time of 4.8 seconds and took home the first prize in that category. And Monty Lewis got 7.6 seconds to dominate the field in Tie-down roping.

Victoria Williams went through the barrels course in 7.6 seconds to come away as the top Barrel Racer at the South Dakota event.

And with a tie of 84 points, Brennon Eldred and Dustin Bowen split the first place title and came home with $4,800 a piece.

The Champions Challenge event is a made-for-CBS Sports event. This means that the rodeo will be recorded to be televised at a later time; possibly several times, Willard said.
“The good part is that every time they show it, it will promote the Clark County Fair and the Moapa Valley community to a national audience,” Willard added.

The Champions Challenge will take place on Sunday evening, April 12: the last night of the Fair. The Fair will open a day early; on Wednesday afternoon; in order to allow for the four days of the regular PRCA rodeo action.

Willard said that the opening day of the Fair is expected to be an unofficial locals day since it will be shorter than the following five days and taking place in the middle of the week. Although the gates don’t open until 4 p.m., Wednesday will feature all of the typical Fair fun including the carnival, entertainment on the Plaza Stage and mutton busting in the afternoon.

“Our goal is to put things in place, have it set up,” Willard said. “Those who come out on Wednesday will see a good fair, a good show and a good rodeo.”