The Levels
Six tiers. One sport.
From the Little Britches kid nodding for his first calf to the world champion at the NFR. Rodeo runs on a pipeline, and every level has its own athletes, bodies, and season. Pick yours.
Pro
The professional circuit. Where the National Finals Rodeo crowns a World Champion every December.
Full-time competing cowboys and cowgirls and the fans who follow them.
Tier 2College
College rodeo. 137 schools, eleven regions, one national championship.
College rodeo athletes, their families, alumni of collegiate rodeo programs, fans of the developmental pipeline.
Tier 3High School
High school rodeo. The largest rodeo organization in the world by member count.
High school rodeo athletes, parents, coaches, college recruiters, pipeline watchers.
Tier 4Junior
Where the pros start.
Junior rodeo families, youth-rodeo directors, developmental-pipeline followers.
Tier 5Ranch Rodeo
Real ranch hands. Real ranch work. Judged on real ranch craft.
Ranching families, working cowboys, western heritage fans, rural economies.
Tier 6International
Pro rodeo on the other side of the border, the ocean, and the language.
International rodeo fans, cultural crossover audiences, expat cowboys and cowgirls.