For the third consecutive year, Rodeo Corpus Christi will host the first stop of the 2023 WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo. The event will be held May 11-14 in conjunction with the annual Buc Days Festival and the PBR Velocity Tour Finals at American Bank Center on the Corpus Christi Bayfront with a total payout over $550,000.
“Our partnership with Buc Days has only strengthened each year as we have jointly eclipsed our goals for business growth across all categories, such as athlete participation, sponsorship, event attendance and network television viewership,” said WCRA President Bobby Mote. “This is a destination event for both athletes and fans, with world class facilities, live concerts and the family-oriented entertainment of the bayfront and beaches. I hope that every rodeo athlete and every avid rodeo fan looks forward to this event each year as much as we do.”
The Triple Crown of Rodeo (TCR) Presented by Lazy E Ranch and Arena is a series of annual major rodeo events which includes an annual bonus that will pay $1 million to any one athlete or collection of athletes who win first place in any three consecutive WCRA Major Rodeos. WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo events are all featured in CBS network television broadcasts each year.
RC Landingham (Hat Creek, California), a 32-year-old Bareback Rider has positioned himself to win the 2022 Triple Crown of Rodeo. Landingham, fresh off championship performances at Rodeo Corpus Christi and July’s Salt Lake City rodeo, has earned two consecutive WCRA Major Rodeo wins, putting him in contention to be a millionaire. If Landingham triumphs at the Cowtown Christmas Championship rodeo in December, he will be the first victor of the WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo $1 Million Bonus.
“The exciting thing about the Triple Crown of Rodeo is the fact that every ride or run could have million-dollar implications, making the action more intense, last year we saw Tacy Kay’s $1 million dollar journey end and RC Landingham’s begin,” said Buc Days President and CEO, Johnny Philipello. “This partnership brings the CBS network television broadcast and features our rodeo and city to millions nationwide. The prize money has doubled and contributes substantially to scholarship giving.”
In addition to the rodeo, a purse over $55,000 will be awarded to steer ropers at the event hosted at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fair Grounds in conjunction with Rodeo Corpus Christi qualifying competition. The Steer Roping will include an open to the world steer roping competition with an opportunity to advance to the WCRA Steer Roping.
Rodeo athletes from all over the globe are eligible to qualify to compete at Rodeo Corpus Christi through the innovative WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) mobile application. VRQ Nominations for Rodeo Corpus Christi will open October 10 and close April 9, 2023.
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The top athletes on the WCRA Rodeo Corpus Christi Leaderboard in each discipline will compete for their piece of the over $550,000 purse, across 10 disciplines which include – Bareback Riding, Women’s Breakaway Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Steer Roping, Team Roping (Heading and Heeling), Tie-Down Roping, Barrel Racing, and Bull Riding.
Continuing its support of Youth Rodeo, WCRA welcomes Division Youth (DY) back to competition in 2023 with the Rodeo Corpus Christi WCRA DY Incentive. This gives Youth rodeo athletes 13-19 years of age an opportunity to compete in the timed event disciplines at this event as well. The top athletes on the WCRA DY Junior Division Leaderboard will compete in the qualifying rounds against the Pro athletes and be eligible for a portion of the $21,000 DY incentive purse as well as having the same opportunity to advance through the entire rodeo.
Format and competition information will be available at wcrarodeo.com October 10, 2022.
Rodeo Corpus Christi, hosted on the Corpus Christi Bayfront, takes place during the annual Buccaneer Days Festival in early-May, bringing together more than 120,000 attendees to promote tradition and community pride in the Coastal Bend by producing exceptional family entertainment that results in educational scholarships.
About WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance): WCRA (World Champion’s Rodeo Alliance) is a professional sport and entertainment entity, created to develop and advance the sport of rodeo by aligning all levels of competition. In association with the PBR, WCRA produces major rodeo events, developing additional opportunities for rodeo-industry competitors, stakeholders, and fans. To learn more, visit wcrarodeo.com. For athletes interested in learning more about the WCRA Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system, visit app.wcrarodeo.com.
About Buccaneer Days: The Buccaneer Commission, a non-profit organization, was established in 1938 and has annually staged Buccaneer Days in support of bringing entertaining, educational, and western events to the Coastal Bend. This 11day event is held on the Corpus Christi Bayfront in the Spring, grabbing the attention of South Texas. It has something for everyone, including two weekends of western events, The PBR Velocity Tour Finals the first weekend followed by Rodeo Corpus Christi the second. The event also includes a Carnival, a shopping experience, BBQ and two Parades. To date, the Buccaneer Commission has awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarships and grants.
