THE COWBOYS PROFESSIONAL RODEO ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED IN 1992 BY A HANDFUL OF PRODUCERS AND CONTESTANTS. THE ASSOCIATION HELD ITS FIRST FINALS IN LUFKIN, TEXAS AND CONTRIBUTED $25,000 IN ADDED MONEY TO ITS FIRST FINALS.
IN 1993 , THE ASSOCIATION GREW LARGER IN MEMBERSHIP, FINISHING OUT THE YEAR WITH 938 COMPETING MEMBERS FROM TEXAS, LOUISIANA, OKLAHOMA, AND MEXICO. AGAIN THE ASSOCIATION ADDED $25,000 TO THE FINALS HELD IN BAY CITY, TEXAS ALONG WITH MANY AWARDS TO OUR CONTESTANTS AND PRODUCERS.
IN 1994 , THE ASSOCIATION STARTED THE YEAR WITH 530 MEMBERS, THE LARGEST BEGINNING MEMBERSHIP IN ITS HISTORY. THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP EXCEEDED 900 MEMBERS. THE PRODUCER LIST EXPANDED, WITH THE TOP STOCK PRODUCERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. THE FINALS WERE HELD IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPOSITION CENTER.IN 1995 , THE ASSOCIATION GREW STRONGER AND GAINED THE TITLE OF “THE LARGEST RODEO ASSOCIATION IN TEXAS” WITH OVER 60 RODEOS THIS YEAR. THE FINALS RETURNED TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
IN 1996 , THE C.P.R.A. EXCEEDED ALL MEMBERSHIP RECORDS, WITH OVER 1,000 MEMBERS AND THE HIGHEST PAYING RODEOS IN THE STATE. THE FINALS WERE HELD IN GIDDINGS, TEXAS AT THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF POSSE ARENA. 1996 PROVED TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS, WITH RECORD PAYOFF’S TO THE CONTESTANTS AND RECORD CROWDS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE FINALS.
IN 1997 , C.P.R.A. BROKE ALL RECORDS WHEN THE MEMBERSHIP SOARED TO 1,186. THE FINALS RETURNED TO GIDDINGS, TEXAS AT THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF POSSE ARENA. THE ASSOCIATION BOOSTED THE ADDED MONEY TO $30,000 PROVING TO BE THE LARGEST YEAR EVER.
1998 WAS BRILLIANT, THE ASSOCIATION AGAIN BOOSTED THE ADDED MONEY FOR THE CONTESTANTS TO A WHOPPING $36,000 AND REWARDED THEM WITH OVER 125,000 IN AWARDS AND PRIZE MONEY. THE FINALS WERE HELD AT THE NACOGDOCHES COUNTY EXPO CENTER IN NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS. AFTER ONLY SEVEN SHORT YEARS IN EXISTENCE THE C.P.R.A. HAS SOARED PAST ALL EXPECTATIONS. THE 1998 FINALS WERE HELD AT THE GREAT SOUTHWEST EQUESTRIAN CENTER IN KATY, TEXAS. THE FINALS PROVED TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS WITH WONDERFUL CROWDS, VENDORS AND CONTESTANTS. AGAIN THE C.P.R.A. MAINTAINED THE $36,000 ADDED MONEY AND MANY WONDERFUL AWARDS FOR CONTESTANTS AND PRODUCERS ALIKE.
THE MILLENNIUM FINALS WERE HELD IN GIDDINGS, TEXAS AT THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFFS POSSE ARENA, AND SHATTERED THE PAYOUT RECORDED WITH A WHOPPING $50,000 ADDED MONEY FOR THE TOP CONTESTANTS. THE FINALS HOSTED THE TOP STOCK FROM SIX OF THE BEST STOCK PRODUCERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. THIS WAS A RODEO THAT COULD NOT BE MISSED> WHAT A WAY TO START THE NEW CENTURY.
PROVING THE C.P.R.A. ENTERTAINS SOME OF THE TOUGHEST CONTESTANTS ANYWHERE, IT NOW BOAST THAT 26 OF THE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO QUALIFIERS OF 1999 ARE CURRENT OR PAST MEMBERS OF THE C.P.R.A. WHO HAVE WORKED THERE WAY TO THE HIGHEST RANKS IN THE WORLD.
THE 2001 FINALS RETURNED TO GIDIDNGS, TEXAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LEE COUNTY “GO TEXAS DAYS”, AND PROVED TO BE ONE OF THE BEST. THEN IN 2002 THE CPRA FINALS MOVED THE LONE STAR CONVENTION CENTER IN CONROE, TEXAS FOR PERFORMANCES ON NOVEMBER 22, 23 & 24. ADDED MONEY FOR THE CONTESTANTS WAS RAISED TO $55,000 AND THE FINALS WERE A HUGH SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE FROM CONTESTANTS TO VENDORS.
2003 & 2004 FINALS WERE HELD IN KINDER, LOUISIANA, HOSTED BY THE GRAND CASINO COUSHATTA. THE ADDED MONEY TOPPED ALL RECORDS AT $63,000 WITH AWARDS TOTALING OVER $150,000 FOR THE CPRA FINALIST.
IN 2005, THE CPRA RETURNED TO TEXAS. THE FINALS WERE HELD IN LIBERTY ON THE HEELS OF THE TRINITY VALLEY FAIR AND RODEO. ONCE AGAIN, THE ADDED MONEY AND PAYOFF EXCEEDED $150,000 AND THE QUALITY OF THE CONTESTANTS AND STOCK WAS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH.
ANGLETON, TEXAS WATCHED AS THE CPRA FINALIST, FAMILIES & FANS ROLLED INTO ANGLETON FOR THE 2006 FINALS HELD OCTOBER 12, 13 & 14. HOSTED BY THE BRAZORIA COUNTY FAIR ASSOCIATION THE FINALS PROVED EASILY TO BE DESCRIBED AS “THE BEST EVER”. THE CONTESTANTS, SPURRED ON BY THE HUGH AND ELECTRIC CROWDS, PROVIDED EXCITEMENT AS NEVER BEFORE, AND THE STOCK PROVIDED BY THE TOP PRODUCERS IN THE STATE WERE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. AND YES, AGAIN ADDED MONEY AND AWARDS TOTALED OVER $150,000.
2007 & 2008 FOUND CPRA CONTESTANTS MAKING THEIR WAY BACK TO THE BRAZORIA COUNTY FAIR IN ANGLETON. BCFA, KNOWN AS THE LARGEST COUNTY FAIR IN TEXAS REPORTED CROWDS IN RECORD NUMBERS IN 2007, A RECORD THAT ONLY LASTED UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR, 2008. SPEAKING OF RECORDS, CPRA REALIZED RECORD GROWTH IN MEMBERSHIP IN 2007 ONLY TO BE OUT DONE IN 2008. MEMBERSHIPS WERE NOT THE ONLY RECORDS TO BE BROKEN IN THESE YEARS. 2007 PAY-OUTS FOR SANCTIONED RODEOS AND EVENTS TOTALED $1,248,971.44, WHILE 2008 PAY-OUTS REACHED $1,370,016.04. ENTRIES REACHED AN ALL TIME RECORD OF 16,616 IN 2007 WITH AN INCREASE OF 17,909 IN 2008, WITH CONTESTANTS COMPETING FOR YET ANOTHER RECORD IN ADDED MONEY OF $259,462.50 IN 2007, RISING TO $269,300.00 IN 2008.
2009. RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN. CPRA MEMBERSHIPS, FINALS ADDED MONEY, CONTESTANT PAY-OUTS, ENTRIES AND RODEO ADDED MONEY……ALL PREVIOUS RECORDS BROKEN. WITH FINALS CONTESTANTS ONCE AGAIN COMPETING AT BRAZORIA COUNTY FAIR WITH RECORD CROWD NUMBERS, IN SPITE OF RAIN AND MORE RAIN. ON THE FAIRGROUNDS IN ANGLETON, TEXAS CROWD BRAVED THEIR WAY TO PACK INTO THE FANTASTIC COVERED ARENA. CONTESTANTS DELIVERED EXCITING PERFORMANCES EACH NIGHT BEFORE AN ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE, COMPETING FOR A RECORD ADDED MONEY OF $67,500, NOT INCLUDING EVENT BONUS MONEY OR THE MANY AWARDS PRESENTED. THE 2009 YEAR ENDED WITH SANCTIONED RODEOS AND EVENT PAY-OUTS INCREASED TO $1,570,617.72. ADDED MONEY OVER THE YEAR INCREASED TO $311,250.00 WITH ENTRIES INCREASED TO 20,502. FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR FINALS CONTESTANTS WILL HEAD BACK TO ANGLETON, TEXAS
FOR THE 18TH ANNUAL CPRA FINALS, SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 15, 16 & 17, 2010 AT THE BRAZORIA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. ONE RECORD HAS ALREADY BEEN BROKEN WITH THE FINALS ADDED MONEY NOW INCREASED TO $76,500.00. CPRA IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE FINALS WILL BE HELD IN ANGLETON THROUGH THE YEAR OF 2015.
2010. THIS YEAR BROUGHT ON MORE RECORDS IN EVERY ASPECT. CONTESTANTS COMPETED FOR MORE ADDED MONEY. TOTAL PAYOUTS WERE UP AGAIN. ENTRY RECORDS WERE BROKEN. MEMBERSHIP RECORDS WERE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. CPRA FINALS ADDED MONEY WAS $76,500.00.
2011. CPRA CELEBRATED OUR 19TH ANNUAL FINALS WITH RECORD ADDED MONEY OF $90,000.00 PLUS BONUS MONEY, AND CASH & PRIZES AWARDED IN EXCESS OF $232,000.00. TOTAL ADDED MONEY AT OUR REGULAR SEASON RODEOS INCREASED TO $357,450.00. TOTAL PAYOUTS INCREASED TO $1,766,349.66 WITH ENTRIES INCREASED TO 21,795. MEMBERSHIP WAS ALSO AT AN ALL TIME RECORD OF 1,110.
….FAST FORWARD…….
2017. CPRA CELEBRATED OUR 25TH ANNUAL FINALS IN ANGLETON TX WITH ADDED MONEY OF OVER $110,000.00. MEMBERSHIPS WERE AT A ALL TIME HIGH AND THE ASSOCIATION THRIVED! MORE MONEY WAS ADDED TO CONTESTANTS THROUGH BONUSES AND ADDED MONEY AT RODEOS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR . THE CPRA REACHED A TOTAL PAYOUT AT ALL 121 RODEO OF OVER $2,811,660.07.
2018. CPRA CONTINUES THEIR ALLIANCE WITH THE BRAZORIA COUNTY FAIR, HOLDING ANOTHER FINALS IN ANGLETON TX WITH ADDED MONEY OF OVER $110,000.00 AND A FINALS CASH PAYOFF OF $194,074.98. CPRA GAINED MORE RODEOS AND STARTED ALLIANCES WITH WCRA & TEJAS RODEO TO REACH A RODEO COUNT OF OVER 158 RODEOS AND PAYOUTS REACHED AN ASTOUNDING $4,196,817.71.
2019. CPRA STILL PROCEEDS TO GROW THE FINALS WITH THE HELP OF THE BRAZORIA COUNTY FAIR, HOLDING ANOTHER FINALS IN ANGLETON TX WITH ADDED MONEY OF OVER $110,000.00 AND A FINALS CASH PAYOFF OF $199,475.98. CPRA WORKED TOWARD THEIR GOAL OF GROWING THE YOUTH OF RODEO BY IMPLEMENTING SUCH INCENTIVES AS SCHOLARSHIPS TO UPCOMING GRADUATES AND DISCOUNTED MEMBERSHIPS TO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE COMPETITORS. CPRA HAD A GREAT YEAR FOR MEMBERSHIP BY ENDING THE YEAR WITH 998 MEMBERS!
AT THE START OF 2020, THE CPRA SHOWED PROMISING GROWTH AS THE ENTRIES AND MEMBERSHIPS WERE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH BY MARCH. THE WORLD-WIDE COVID-19 PANDEMIC TOOK A TOLL ON THE RODEO INDUSTRY AND AFTER THE UNITED STATES WAS ON COMPLETE LOCKDOWN IN MARCH, RODEOS WERE AT A STAND STILL. RODEO STARTED TO RIVIVE BY THE TIME SUMMER CAME AROUND, AND COMMITTEES THAT WERE ALLOWED TO RODEO, DID! THE CPRA CLOSED 2020 WITH THE COMPLETION WITH ONLY 10 CPRA RODEOS, AS THEY LOST OVER 3/4 OF THEIR RODEOS DUE TO COVID. ANGLETON, THE USUAL HOME OF THE CPRA FINALS, WAS NOT ALLOWED TO PRODUCE THE FINALS AND THE CPRA BOARD WAS FORCED TO TEMPORARILY RE-HOME THE FINALS. GIDDINGS HOSTED THE 2-DAY CPRA FINALS AND CONTESTANTS WERE AWARDED WITH CASH AND PRIZES. ENDING THE YEAR WITH 727 MEMBERS!
STAY TUNED TO SEE WHAT OUR FUTURE HOLDS!