The second week in December, the Cowboy team plunged right into the spectacle that is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas. There’s a reason it is the biggest rodeo of the year under the brightest lights. We joined thousands of rodeo enthusiasts, sponsors, producers, stock contractors, and contestants to witness the world’s best athletes— both two-legged and four-legged — do their thing.
And while the competition on the dirt is legendary, it’s the human stories that unfold over the 10 days that truly resonate long after the dust settles and the World Champions are presented with their gold buckles. We find that especially apropos here at The Cowboy, as the home of the National Rodeo Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring, preserving, and telling the complete story of rodeo.
I’ve never been more proud and grateful to have spent my professional career in this sport. While rodeo, like any sport, has room for improvement, it remains filled with people who choose to lift each other. In a world often short on goodwill, the rodeo community consistently demonstrates the integrity and generosity that defines the West:
- Need a horse? Let me loan you one.
- A piece of tack broken or stolen? Let me share what I have.
- In a slump? Know that I’ve got your back and I’ll remind you that you have what it takes.
That cowboy code — what we refer to as the Code of the West — is vibrantly alive. I was privileged to witness it again last week, just as I have for the past 30 years.
- To the champions go the gold buckles and a permanent place of prominence in rodeo’s history.
- To the qualifiers go the experience of a lifetime.
- To all the fans: in Las Vegas, watching on TV, or following on social media—go the stories that we will carry in our hearts.
As we shift from the NFR excitement into the holidays, I’d like to leave you with a challenge inspired by our Code of the West. If you’re looking for inspiration or resolutions for 2026, consider adopting any one or a few of these tenets. You can’t go wrong when using them to help you Find Your West.
And if you’d like to be a part of sharing and preserving the West’s original sport, we sincerely invite you to become a Rodeo member of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. If you are already a member, thank you. We couldn’t, and wouldn’t, want to do this important work without your support.
A final tip of the hat to all that 2025 brought, and a call to saddle up because 2026 looks amazing! I hope to see you soon at The Cowboy or in the dirt of rodeos across the country.
