Championship cowboys, cowgirls converge on OKC for 47th IFR

A new year brings the best from the sport of rodeo to Oklahoma City. It's time again for the International Finals Rodeo at the Oklahoma City State Fair Arena Jan. 13-15. Love's Travel Stops is a proud sponsor of the event.

The IFR is the season-ending event for the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA), and only the Top 15 contestants in each event are invited, according to IPRA General Manager Dale Yerigan. Events include bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, cowgirls' breakaway roping, cowgirls' barrel racing and bull riding.

"The IFR brings some of the best livestock in the industry and matches them up against some of the greatest cowboys and cowgirls in the world for one of the greatest rodeos with World Championships on the line," Yerigan said.

If you're in or traveling through Oklahoma, you can pick up a discount ticket at a Love's in the area and join us at the State Fair Arena on Jan. 13-15! Wrangler Network will broadcast the rodeo live on its website and app. In addition, prorodeolive.com will broadcast live play by play and that will also air on Rural Radio, which can be found on SiriusXM 147.

It's a chance to watch the best of the best compete. Contestants come from 16 states, two Canadian provinces and Australia. Oklahoma has the largest number of contestants with 28, out of 127 contestants in all.

This year's event is the 47th annual IFR. It has been held in Oklahoma for 46 of those 47 years, and it's been in Oklahoma City since January 1991.

For more information, visit the IFR website at http://www.ipra-rodeo.com/ifr/.

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