SALT LAKE CITY - Gold has long been reserved for December in rodeo with the focus on the Gold Buckle, but now thanks to the Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo, contestants will have the opportunity to compete for a Gold Medal and a share of $1 Million in July. A Gold Medal win in July in Salt Lake City, Utah, could propel a cowgirl to a Gold Buckle in Las Vegas in December.

The Komatsu Equipment Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo presented by Zions Bank, July 19-22 and 24, will take place at the all-new, $16 million, state-of-the-art Days of '47 Arena currently under construction at the Utah State Fair Park. The venue--an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City--is due for completion by July 1, and features 10,000 stadium-style seats.

Days of '47 is excited to once again partner with the PRCA and WPRA, offering cowboys and cowgirls a chance at a share of $1 million," said President and CEO of Days of '47 Rodeo Dan Shaw. "This exciting new format, at our brand-new stadium, will bring a fresh approach to the sport, and greater financial opportunities to the rodeo athletes.

A total of 32 contestants each in bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding, along with 32 teams in the team roping will earn the right to compete in the Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo.

The top 10 contestants in the PRCA and the WPRA world standings, the leaders from each of the 12 national PRCA/WPRA circuits and the leading Rookie of the Year in each discipline, as of July 5 will qualify for the semifinals, along with the winners from the 2017 Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR). These qualifiers will be split into three groups of eight and compete in one of the first three performances July 19-21. For the Barrel Racing, four of the remaining eight contestants will be qualified by the Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo Trial Events being held across the nation this April --July. The final four will qualify through a Barrel Racing Qualifier on July 16 in West Jordan, Utah. More information will be available at www.wpra.com on this event. For the PRCA events, five of the remaining eight contestants will be qualified by the Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo Trial Events. The remain three contestants for PRCA events will be invitees. These individuals will compete in the fourth performance on July 22. All performances will begin at 7 p.m.

The top two in each discipline from each day will advance to the Gold Medal Round on July 24. The Gold Medal Round, featuring the top eight in each discipline, will compete in a sudden-death format with the winner collecting a Gold Medal and $50,000 cash that will count towards the PRCA and WPRA world standings that determine Wrangler NFR qualifiers and world champions.

For only the third time in the history of the PRCA/WPRA cowboys and cowgirls will have an opportunity to compete for Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals. The previous two times were in conjunction with the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary (1988) and Salt Lake City (2002), when rodeo was part of the Cultural Olympiad. The medals that will be awarded at the Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo will be produced by OC Tanner, the same company that made the Olympic medals for the champions of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Tickets are currently on sale at smithstix.com. For more information on the event visit www.daysof47cowboygames.com.

Athlete Question and Answers:

WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER?

• Be in the Top 10 of the PRCA/ WPRA World Standings as of July 5, 2017
• Be the current leader in one of the 12 PRCA/ WPRA Circuits as of July 5, 2017
• Win the 2017 Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo
• Be the current leader of the Resistol Rookie Standings as of July 5, 2017
• Be in the Top 5 for PRCA Events or the Top 4 of the Barrel Racing of combined points from all the Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo Trial Events (PRCA Contestants must also be in the top 35 of the PRCA World Standings as of July 5, 2017).
• *WPRA CONTESTANTS ONLY* Be in the Top 4 from the WPRA qualifier event, tentatively scheduled for July 16th in West Jordan, UT
• *PRCA CONTESTANTS ONLY* Be one of the three invitees per an event

HOW ARE POINTS AWARDED AT THE TRIAL EVENT RODEOS?

• Points will be awarded based on ten (10) points per number of places paid by the Trial Event rodeo. For example, a rodeo with four (4) monies paid, 1st place will receive forty (40) points (or 4 x 10) and each placing after, ten (10) less points. For a rodeo with eight (8) monies paid, 1st place will receive eighty (80) points (or 8 x 10) and each placing after, ten (10) less points. Rodeos with multiple rounds, points are allocated based on the average only.
• Utah Trial Event rodeos are worth double points. So for a rodeo with four (4) monies paid, 1st place will receive eighty (80) points (or 4 x 20) and each placing after, twenty (20) less points. For a Utah rodeo with eight (8) monies paid, 1st place will receive one hundred sixty (160) points (or 8 x 20) and each placing after, twenty (20) less points. Rodeos with multiple rounds, points are allocated based on the average only.

WHICH RODEOS ARE DAYS OF '47 COWBOY GAMES & RODEO PARTICIPATING TRIAL EVENTS?
This is the current list as of April 21st. Go to www.daysof47cowboygames.com for the most up to date list.

• RED BLUFF, CA- Red Bluff Round-Up ** April 21 - 23, 2017
• LUFKIN, TX- Angelina Benefit Rodeo ** April 26 - 29, 2017
• CORPUS CHRISTI, TX- Rodeo Corpus Christi ** April 27 - 30, 2017
• CLOVIS, CA- Clovis Rodeo ** April 28 - 30, 2017
• GUYMON, OK- Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo ** May 5 - 7, 2017
• LAS VEGAS, NV- Helldorado Days Rodeo ** May 11 & 13-14, 2017
• FRANKLIN, TN- Franklin Rodeo May 18 - 20, 2017
• HAYWARD, CA- Rowell Ranch Pro Rodeo May 20 - 21, 2017
• GARDEN CITY, KS- Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo May 25 - 27, 2017
• EAGLE MOUNTAIN, UT- Pony Express Rodeo May 26-27 & 29, 2017
• FORT SMITH, AR- Old Fort Days Rodeo May 29 - June 3, 2017
• SANTA MARIA, CA- 74th Annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo & Parade June 1 - 4, 2017
• HERRIMAN, UT- Fort Herriman PRCA Rodeo June 2 - 3, 2017
• DELTA, UT- Days of the Old West Rodeo June 8 - 10, 2017
• GLADEWATER, TX- Gladewater Round-up Rodeo June 8 - 10, 2017
• CEDAR CITY, UT- Cedar City PRCA Rodeo June 9 - 10, 2017
• SISTERS, OR- Sisters Rodeo June 9 - 11, 2017
• PECOS, TX- West of the Pecos Rodeo June 21 - 24, 2017
• CLEAR LAKE, SD- Crystal Springs Rodeo June 22 - 24, 2017
• EDGEWOOD, IA- Edgewood Pro Rodeo Days June 22 - 24, 2017
• LEHI, UT- Lehi Round-up Rodeo June 22 - 24, 2017
• MANAWA, WI- Mid-Western Rodeo June 29 - 30 & July 1, 2017
• PRESCOTT, AZ- World's Oldest Rodeo - Prescott Frontier Days June 28 - July 4, 2017
• OAKLEY CITY, UT- Oakley Rodeo June 30, July 1 & 3-4, 2017
• BELLE FOURCHE, SD- 98th Black Hills Roundup July 1 - 4, 2017
• RED LODGE, MT- Home of Champions Rodeo July 2 - 4, 2017
• WINDOW ROCK, AZ- Annual Fourth of July Celebration & PRCA ProRodeo July 2 - 4, 2017
• KILLDEER, ND- Killdeer Mountain Roundup PRCA Rodeo July 3 - 4, 2017

** Rodeos that will not count towards Trial Event Points in the barrel race per WPRA rules.

WHERE DO I FIND THE STANDINGS FOR THE TRIAL EVENT POINTS?

• For a complete list of Trial Event point standings go to www.daysof47cowboygames.com and click on the "RODEO" tab.

IF I QUALIFY, WHICH DAYS WILL I COMPETE AT THE DAYS OF '47 COWBOY GAMES & RODEO?

• Contestants qualified by the Top 10, circuit leader, winner of the RNCFR and Rookie of the Year leader will compete in one of three semifinal performances on either July 19th, July 20th or July 21st with the top 2 barrel racers in each performance advancing to the Gold Medal Round on Monday, July 24.
• Contestants qualified through the Trial Events, the Days of '47 Committee, or the WPRA Qualifier Event will compete in a semifinal performance on Saturday, July 22nd with the top 2 contestants in each event advancing to the Gold Medal Round on Monday, July 24.

WHAT IS THE PAYOUT AT THE DAYS OF '47 COWBOY GAMES & RODEO?

• Total payout of $1 million
• Each Semifinal Performance pays a total of $64,000 ($8,000 per event in each of 8 events)
  • 1st = $3,200
  • 2nd = $2,400
  • 3rd = $1,600
  • 4th = $ 800
• Gold Medal Round pays a total of $744,000 ($93,000 per event in each of 8 events) plus medals
  • 1st = $50,000 plus a Gold Medal
  • 2nd = $25,000 plus a Silver Medal
  • 3rd = $12,000 plus a Bronze Medal
  • 4th = $ 6,000

DOES THE MONEY I WIN AT THE DAYS OF '47 COWBOY GAMES & RODEO COUNT TOWARDS THE WORLD STANDINGS?

• *WPRA Barrel Race- Yes, all your cash winnings from this rodeo count toward the WPRA World Standings.
• *PRCA Members- Yes, all your cash winnings from this rodeo count toward the PRCA World Standings provided you enter a minimum of 40 PRCA rodeos throughout the 2017 season.

HOW MUCH ARE THE ENTRY FEES?

• Entry Fees are $371 ($350 + $21 Procom).

HOW DO I ENTER THE DAYS OF '47 COWBOY GAMES & RODEO?

• Enter the rodeo through Procom like any other PRCA/WPRA rodeo. Look to the WPRA approvals online at www.wpra.com for entry opening/closing dates or look to the PSN Business Journal for entry opening/closing dates.

WHAT IF I AM IN THE TOP 10 OF THE PRCA/ WPRA WORLD STANDINGS AS OF JULY 5TH BUT I AM ALSO IN THE TOP 4 OF THE TRIAL EVENT STANDINGS?

• Your priority is the Top 10 in the PRCA/ WPRA World Standings so you will compete in that group. Your position in the Trial Events will go to the next eligible contestant in the Trial Event points.

WHAT IF I AM IN THE TOP 10 OF THE WPRA WORLD STANDINGS AS OF JULY 5TH BUT I ALSO WON THE 2017 RNCFR?

• Again, your priority will be the Top 10 in the PRCA/ WPRA World Standings. Your position in the RNCFR will go to the 2nd place finisher in the 2017 RNCFR.

WHAT IF I AM IN THE TOP 4 OF TRIAL POINTS BUT I AM NOT IN THE TOP 35 OF THE PRCA/ WPRA WORLD STANDINGS AS OF JULY 5TH?

• Unfortunately, PRCA Contestants will not be eligible to enter the rodeo. The contestant in the next position in Trial Event points that IS in the top 35 will be eligible to enter.
• WPRA Contestants are still eligible to enter. There is no standings stipulation in the barrel race only.

IF I HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE DAYS OF '47 COWBOY GAMES & RODEO, WHO DO I CALL?

• Contact the Days of '47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo office at 844-436-4788.

Courtesy of Days of '47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo

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