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The world’s best cowboys and cowgirls will congregate in Las Vegas for the 60th annual National Finals Rodeo, which runs from Thursday to Dec. 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Dozens of cowboys and cowgirls will compete in seven events for world championships in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo rides into town Thursday for 10 nights of competition to determine the best riders, ropers and all-around-best cowboys and cowgirls in the country.The final rodeo of the year is a competition among the 15 top money-winners in eight rodeo events — bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, steer roping, bull riding and barrel racing.It happens at the time of year around the holidays when Southern Nevada resorts once performed annual maintenance projects, closed showrooms and gave employees time off.South Point owner Michael Gaughan was one of the early believers that Las Vegas would be the perfect home for what is considered the “Super Bowl of rodeo.” He was part of a group of cowboy lifestyle fans that convinced the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to move the event to Las Vegas from Oklahoma City in 1985.Since that move, NFR’s popularity has exploded, drawing more and more fans to Southern Nevada, even though most people who come can’t even get tickets to the sold-out rodeo performances at the Thomas &Mack Center.The LVCVA officially forecasts 170,750 attendees for the 2018 NFR, but that just covers the full house at the Thomas &Mack for 10 performances. The conservative economic impact estimate is $113 million.Las Vegas Events, the special-events arm of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, uses the rodeo as the signature-event model for how to grow participation, visitation and spending with spinoff activities related to the main attraction.Various casinos will host viewing parties with broadcasts of the rodeo sessions. Other rodeo-related activities will include the Miss Rodeo America Pageant; the World Series of Team Roping, a competition for headers and heelers at the South Point Equestrian Center; All In Barrel Racing at The Orleans Arena; Cowboy Christmas and other gift shows across the valley; a kickoff hoedown in downtown Las Vegas; and the nation’s top country music performing acts in showrooms across the valley.On Tuesday, downtown Las Vegas’ Plaza opened its new Core Arena the first permanent outdoor equestrian center in downtown Las Vegas.Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, former Mayor Oscar Goodman, and Matt Shiozawa, a rodeo professional ranked 13th in NFR standings, presided over the ribbon-cutting event.While the benefits of NFR are spread all over town, South Point may be the property that draws the most attention since not only are its rooms filled with rodeo participants and fans, but it’s also a hotel for horses and livestock.Crowds are drawn to the property because gold buckles from each evening’s rodeo performance are presented there in the Montana Silversmith Go-Round Buckle Presentation on all but the final night of competition. That gives fans the opportunity to meet and greet the night’s winning participants.Growney said the casino has a raucous atmosphere at rodeo time. Horse troughs filled with ice-cold beer are located throughout the casino floor. During the two weeks of the rodeo, South Point opens 12 additional blackjack tables to accommodate cowboys’ and cowgirls’ propensity to gamble.It may seem odd that most people who come to Las Vegas for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo never get into the rodeo itself, but instead find enjoyment in being around the atmosphere.Would it be possible to increase capacity for the rodeo by staging it at a bigger venue, such as the new Las Vegas stadium?Lisa Motley, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s director of sports marketing and special events thinks it’s an unlikely scenario since the rodeo occurs during the National Football League’s final run to the playoffs and the hometown Las Vegas Raiders wouldn’t likely want to give up their home for three weeks at the most important time of the season.