The Arena

Fall is in the air in most places, and for us at the Working Ranch Cowboys Association, that means one thing: the World Championship Ranch Rodeo is just around the corner!

The 14th annual WCRR will be November 12-15 at the Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas, with a special kickoff party November 11 featuring cowboy poet Baxter Black.

Baxter will be featured in a presentation November 11 in the Heritage Room at the Amarillo Civic Center. “An Evening with Baxter Black” coincides with the introduction of the 2009 WRCA competing teams. Baxter is a veterinarian who actually practiced the trade until 1982, when it became evident that his brand of cowboy poetry and public speaking made a better (and easier) way of living. Since then he has made presentations all over the country, appeared on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, has a weekly radio show broadcast on more than 200 stations and writes a syndicated column called “On the Edge of Common Sense” that appears each month in Western Horseman magazine.

Baxter lives on his ranch near Benson, Arizona, and says that he still doesn’t own a television or a cell phone. Tickets for the Baxter Black performance, which starts at 7 p.m. and also includes heavy hors d’oeuvres as well as the introduction of the rodeo teams, are available for $20. Tickets may also be purchased for a one-hour preshow, which includes a VIP meet and greet with Baxter along with the performance and rodeo team introduction, for $30.

Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased through the WRCA office, P.O. Box 7765, Amarillo, TX  79114 or by calling (806) 374-9722. All tickets must be purchased or reserved by Nov. 2.

This year’s championship rodeo will also feature a special salute to the women of ranching. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes support or working hard and getting dirty alongside the men, ranch women are an integral part of the industry. Look for special displays, entertainment and presentations throughout the WCRR.

If you’ve never been to the WCRR, you’re in for a treat. (And if you’re a veteran, we know you’re hooked, and we can’t wait to see you back again this year!) The events in ranch rodeo mirror the duties a working ranch cowboy might encounter in his daily work, including Ranch Bronc Riding, Stray Gathering, Team Penning, Wild-Cow Milking and Team Branding.

In conjunction with the ranch rodeo, the WRCA will host a top-notch ranch expo and cowboy trade & trappings show. If you’re looking for anything for your ranching operation—or maybe just Christmas gifts for the family – you can find it here.

Rodeo tickets range from $16 to $28 and are available by calling Panhandle Tickets at (806) 378-3096. For more information on the WRCA and the World Championship Ranch Rodeo, visit wrca.org.