International Finals Youth Rodeo Opens Registration April 1

March 26, 2019

(SHAWNEE, Okla.) - The International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR) will open registration online at IFYR.com beginning April 1. Offering more than $250,000 in prize money for contestants to pursue, the 27th annual IFYR will be held July 7-12 at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

To meet IFYR age requirements, participants must have completed ninth grade and cannot have turned 19 on or before Aug. 1, 2018. Events include cowgirls barrel racing, cowgirls pole bending, cowgirls breakaway roping, cowgirls goat tying, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, saddle bronc riding and bareback riding.

Registration can be completed online only at IFYR.com starting April 1 and event registration will close as individual event spaces are filled. Entry fees are $150 per event.

“This is a very special competition that brings together rodeo families and the best youth rodeo athletes from around the world,” said Chris Dunlap, assistant director of the International Finals Youth Rodeo and Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center. “The IFYR is an exciting opportunity for high school students to compete in a professional level rodeo and have a chance to win a large prize purse and other prizes. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to Shawnee and seeing what this year’s competition brings.”

The IFYR consists of two long go-rounds and a short go. All contestants compete once in each of the long go-rounds. The top 15 averages in each event will compete for half of the prize purse in the short go, plus championship saddles, buckles and more. Performances kick-off Sunday, July 7 at 8 p.m. and continue with two performances daily, 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. through Friday, July 12. Events run simultaneously in three arenas throughout the week.

The International Finals Youth Rodeo, held annually since 1993, is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that presents top high school athletes with a professional level rodeo. The internationally-recognized IFYR is held annually at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The action-packed event includes hundreds of contestants vying to win more than $250,000 in prize money, competing in 10 events running simultaneously in three arenas over six days. In 2018, more than 865 contestants and their families traveled from 33 states plus Australia and New Zealand to participate in the IFYR. For more information, visit IFYR.com or call (800) 762-7695.