Beginning in the Fall 2022 Rodeo will be limiting their membership to ensure our members receive optimal attention. Members will be required to pay dues, maintain hours, grade point average, and follow team rules to continue to be a part of the team. All team members are able to enter the collegiate rodeo as long as they keep eligible, entering and competing at all 10 college rodeos is a team requirement. Travel money will be awarded to the top 4 women and top 6 men in points of the Tarleton Rodeo Team.

A great place to start is by sending competition videos to rodeo@tarleton.edu for the coaches to review along with any information about yourself.

You must be enrolled in 12 academic hours per semester (this would not include PE Activity Courses). You must COMPLETE 12 hours per semester and pass at least 9 hours in an undergraduate program and COMPLETE and Pass 9 hours in a Master program. You must have an accumulative GPA of 2.00 or 2.00 from the previous long semester. You must PASS 24 hours per year. If you drop below 12 hours in a long semester, you cannot rodeo or you cannot rodeo the next semester. See the NIRA rulebook for complete rules.

The first and foremost reason for attending Tarleton is to receive a college degree. If you do not meet the hour or GPA requirements you will lose your privilege to rodeo, privilege to practice at Tarleton, and any scholarships.

There are rodeo scholarships available and the best way to receive one is to have the ability to do college level education work and be successful in the arena. The coaches and committee will look at what you have won, your SAT or ACT scores, and grades to determine scholarships. Scholarships may vary from $500 per year to $9,000 per year. Students who are attending Tarleton who are not receiving scholarships or have smaller scholarships will be considered first for new scholarships. Community college transfers and high school graduates with outstanding records will then be considered (Collegiate Regional Champions, National Champions, etc.)

You must fill out the general scholarship application which you can complete online with the essay, checking rodeo scholarship. It is also good to send a resume to the rodeo office.

Scholarships will be on March 1 of each year.

The rodeos are held at 10 schools across the Southwest Region of the NIRA: Eastern New Mexico University, Sul Ross State University, Vernon College, Texas Tech, Odessa College, Howard College, Western Texas, and Tarleton. Weatherford College and Ranger College combine on their rodeos as well as West Texas A&M, Frank Phillips College, and Clarendon College.

Generally, we have five rodeos in the fall and five in the spring, but this may change from year to year. The rodeos begin on Thursday and end on Saturday night.

This is the instructors call. Instructors will be contacted informing them that you will be participating in college rodeos, but each one can have different attendance policies. It is the rodeo student’s responsibility to check this on the first day of class and make changes if necessary. Students need to keep teachers informed well in advance if they plan to be absent.

The university has a practice arena with 30 stalls, which are available as scholarships to students. There is room to keep trailers at the arena. Students need home owners, trailer, or renters insurance to cover vehicles, saddles and tack. There are many places with arenas in the community to board horses, costs vary.

Each student contestant is responsible for his or her own travel and accommodations. However many students travel together to help save on expenses. All students must attend a Safe Driving Seminar before attending their first rodeo.

Tarleton State University has no insurance on the rodeo team members and is not liable for any injuries. Students should know the risk of rodeo and traveling. Membership in the NIRA includes a secondary insurance policy for travel to intercollegiate rodeos, practice, and participation in approved rodeo. It will pay up to 80% of cost left after as student’s insurance has paid, but there is a deductible.

All students must have a primary insurance carrier.

Practice is available for NIRA members at the Tarleton practice facilities. Practice is 3-4 times weekly. There are 2 arenas so many events are worked at one time.

We will have a set time to practice each event.

Students must have primary insurance to practice and compete.

Students are expected to care for Tarleton equipment and livestock. Any rough or inhumane treatment to livestock, equipment, or facilities can call for fines or disciplinary actions.

If a student is not eligible to compete in NIRA rodeos, then they are not able practice with team or utilize the facilities.

The top 3 individuals from each region, the top two in the all-around, and the top two teams qualify for the CNFR. The men’s team consists of 6 people and the women’s team contains 4 people.

Teams are filled with individuals in top 3 first, and then if spots are available, they are filled with the individuals who meet qualification guidelines.

Students must attend ALL team meetings.

Students are required to participate in fundraisers.

Scholarship students who miss all or part of college rodeo due to participation in other rodeo event will be fined 10% of scholarship. (Starting with new students in 2007).

Students will sell at least one advertisement or sponsorship to NIRA rodeo.

All fines must be paid 2 hours before the draw out time of next rodeo.

Visit the NIRA website for more information.

If you are a new freshman you must furnish THEA scores or exemptions. If you are a transfer you must have made a C or better in Math, English, and Reading Intense course or take the assessment exams–ASSET, COMPASS, or ACCUPLACER or THEA.