About Us

Held in conjunction with the San Antonio Stockshow & Rodeo , the Ranch Rodeo Finals is a 100% volunteer organization that raises funds to be given as scholarships to Texas youth with an emphasis on collegiate rodeo athletics.

South Texas has a very rich ranching heritage and it is our goal to promote that heritage by embracing the businesses that support ranching towns and furthering the education of students coming from ranching backgrounds.

The Event

The Ranch Rodeo Finals is held during the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. The top six teams from the previous year's ranch rodeo circuit qualify to wind up the season by copmpeting in five events including Steer Tying, Milk Race, Steer Loading, Calf Branding, and Cow Hide Race. Prizes and/or money is awarded to the Top Hand (not unlike a football game MVP), the winner of each event, and to the top two teams of the running average. The first place team in the average also earns custom belt buckles and the Ranch Rodeo Finals Championship title.

All proceeds generated by this event are donated as scholarships for Texas youth. Recommendations are made in an effort to focus on students of Texas colleges and/or universities who are participating in that college or university's intercollegiate rodeo program.

No More Pay To Play

Following the lead of executive director Keith Martin, Ranch Rodeo Finals organizers introduced the No More Pay to Play mantra at the 2009 Ranch Rodeo Finals.

"This concept is long over due for rodeo," said event organizer James O'Brien. "Keith has done something special for the sport by covering contestant fees during the San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo and we're proud to do the same thing for the qualifiers coming into San Antonio for the Ranch Rodeo Finals."

Entry fees for the Ranch Rodeo Finals are $1,000 per team. Organizers have decided to cover that cost and contribute all of those funds to the prize money purse to be paid out during the event. No More Pay to Play is a movement all cowboys can get behind and the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Committee is proving that it can be good for the event as well.

Excerpted from original article at ProRodeo.com
The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo made a commitment to pay the entry fees for every contestant in the Jan. 31-Feb. 17, 2008 event, a step no PRCA regular-season rodeo has ever taken.

At $500 per entry -- $1,000 per pair in team roping -- and 72 contestants in each event it amounts to a total expenditure of $288,000 by the rodeo committee. It means the entire $1 million San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo purse will come from the rodeo’s organizers.

“The committee understands that rodeo cowboys have a tough enough time getting down the road and covering expenses,” said executive director Keith Martin. “This is meant to make things a little bit easier.”

Producers

The organizers of the Ranch Rodeo Finals are a tight-knit group composed of South Texas Businessmen and Ranchers who desire to host a top tier event while providing more opportunities for youth involved in ranching and rodeo.