Kansas Lottery to Sponsor Championship Rodeo Series

The Kansas Lottery is pleased to announce its partnership with the newly formed Kansas Association of Rodeo Committees and its sponsorship of the first-ever Kansas Lottery Championship Rodeo Series.

Professional rodeo contestants will earn points by competing in several rodeos being held in Kansas this summer, all of them part of the Kansas Lottery Championship Rodeo Series. The contestants with the highest cumulative series point totals in their events will win $1,000 cash prizes and trophy buckles. Events include saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, barrel racing, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, bull riding and team roping.

“The Kansas Lottery is proud to be associated with a sport that embodies our state’s western heritage of hard work, honesty and integrity,” said Lottery Executive Director Ed Van Petten. “The rodeo series provides us an opportunity to help smaller communities attract visitors so they can realize the economic value of tourism locally, and also fits in well with the Lottery’s ‘Made in Kansas’ promotions that support businesses and attractions in Kansas.”

The series will involve 13 Kansas rodeos in two divisions. The “Heeler Division” includes larger rodeos held in Abilene, Dodge City, Garden City, Manhattan, Phillipsburg and Strong City. The “Header Division” includes smaller rodeos held in Bennington, Colby, Hill City, Iola, Mound City, Hardtner and Longford. The Kansas Association of Rodeo Committees says it is a rodeo tradition to help one another, and that is part of the motivation behind the Kansas Lottery Championship Rodeo Series.

“In Kansas, we have high payout rodeos which have little problem attracting contestants, and lower payout rodeos which have some problems attracting contestants,” said R.C. Trotter, M.D., Chairman of the Kansas Association of Rodeo Committees. “The Kansas Lottery Championship Rodeo Series will encourage contestants to participate in all of the 13 rodeos, which will help the smaller rodeos to be successful.”

The locations and dates of the 13 Kansas rodeos participating in the Kansas Lottery Championship Rodeo Series are:

“Heeler” Division
• Flint Hills Rodeo Strong City June 2-4
• Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo Garden City June 7-10
• Kaw Valley Rodeo Manhattan July 27-29
• Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo Abilene August 2-5
• Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Dodge City August 2-6
• Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo Phillipsburg August 3-5

“Header” Division
• Bennington PRCA Rodeo Bennington June 1-3
• Jayhawker Roundup Rodeo Hill City July 31–August 2
• Thomas County Fair & Rodeo Colby August 1-2
• Barber County Fair Rodeo Hardtner August 4-5
• Allen County Fair & Rodeo Iola August 8-9
• Linn County Fair & Rodeo Mound City August 11-12
• Longford Rodeo Longford September 1-2

Those competing in the Kansas Lottery Championship Rodeo Series must have their Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) cards or be a member of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA).

Those interested in participating in the Kansas Lottery Championship Rodeo Series should send their requests to: Char Henton, Secretary, Kansas Association of Rodeo Committees, 4711 Harbour Dr., Manhattan, KS 66503. Interested persons may call Ms. Henton at 785-539-5768 or 785-564-1385.

For more information on Kansas Lottery promotions, games, winning numbers and much more, visit www.kslottery.com.