The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)
The first professional rodeo association was created in 1936 when a group of cowboys refused to compete at a rodeo performance at the Boston Garden to protest the lack of decent prize money and knowledgeable rodeo judges. The contestants banded together and managed to force the biggest rodeo producers of that era to give in to their demands. From this, the Cowboys’ Turtle Association was born. The “Turtles” as they came to be called, created important results in the rodeo world. Cowboys were now required to clean themselves up, shave, polish their boots and discard their dirty jeans. The Association provided insurance for each contestant and blackballed members whose entry fee checks bounced and who didn’t pay their bills. In 1945, the Turtles changed their name to the Rodeo Cowboys Association and continued to be an organization formed for the contestant. In 1975, the organization became the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association, and grew to include cowboys, stock contractors, contract acts and rodeo committees. The PRCA now has a membership of over 10,000 members and sanctions more than 650 rodeos a year. Paying more than $36 million in prize money in 2005, the PRCA now broadcasts rodeo on numerous television stations and in print with the ProRodeo Sports News. From a small organization of contestants who took a stand, the PRCA has truly enhanced the sport of rodeo.