Kaycee Feild had just put the finishing touches to his record-breaking fourth consecutive rodeo title with a final night performance that got a crowded Thomas & Mack Center audience roaring with applause.
Feild, a native of Utah and son of Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer Lewis Feild, stood there sucking it all in. The younger Feild had spent most of his life touring the rodeo circuit, realizing at a young age the importance of cowboys getting their best to Las Vegas every December – which he did on that memorable night of the year 2014 did.
“To be honest, my brain was shaking because it was so loud there,” remembers Feild, now 34 years old. “This sound, this feeling, that stands out in my career.”
NFR is returning to Las Vegas December 2-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center after spending 2020 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas due to pandemic restrictions in Nevada. Fans are required to wear masks at this year’s event, but there is no compulsory vaccination and large capacity is expected.
Feild, one of the most highly decorated contestants in NFR history, says Thomas & Mack remains sacred ground in the rodeo. The fans are practically right in front of the competition, he says, which gives a more intimate feeling than at other, more spacious venues.
That energy has got the best out of him over the years, he explains. “Nothing compares to the Thomas & Mack Center and the presence of the NFR. It’s better than any Las Vegas show on the Strip. “
The pandemic changed the lives of athletes in all sports over the past year with interrupted competition dates, changed training plans and empty stadiums under the challenges. It was no different at the rodeo.
Feild had unexpected downtime in 2020 but made the most of it. Last year’s NFR took place in the weeks leading up to the COVID vaccine launch, which significantly changed the scope of the event. Exterior appearances were being scratched due to safety concerns, which meant Field only went from hotel to stadium – over and over on a nightly basis.
“We weren’t allowed to go anywhere during the day. We were secluded, ”he says. “For the first time in 13 years I felt relaxed and comfortable.”
Feild took the title in the bareback saddle again in 2020, his fifth place overall and the first since 2014.
This year, dates in Las Vegas will mostly normalize again, with gigs, parties, and concerts on the Strip between the actual rodeo sessions – but not for Feild. After last year’s success, he wants to take it easy between the rounds.
He is fighting for the title again after taking seven wins on the track over the course of the year. But winning won’t be easy. The NFR gathers the 15 best participants in the areas of bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronze riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding.
All world-class competitors strive for the same thing as Feild – culminating at the end of the year on the sport’s greatest stage.
“It’s such a rewarding feeling to hear [the fans in Las Vegas] Look forward to your performance, ”says Feild.
With the exception of 2020, NFR has stopped in Las Vegas every year since 1985. The 35 year marriage benefited the city and the rodeo, generating millions of dollars in revenue for the region during an otherwise slow period in December and providing a fitting spectacle for the sport’s biggest event.
“Vegas is rolling out the red carpet for NFR,” says Allen Rheinheimer, managing director of the NFR. “We hope that we can keep improving this Las Vegas event every year. I am overjoyed to be back. “
Bryan Horwath contributed to this story.
NATIONAL FINAL RODEO 2021
When: 2nd-11th December, 5:45 pm-8:15pm
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
Tickets: $ 76 for single day spots, nfrexperience.com.
Commute: The free Teton Ridge NFR Express offers 14 routes that cover the Las Vegas Convention Center and 24 hotels. It hits all parts of the Valley, from Sam’s Town in the east of Las Vegas to Plaza Downtown. It runs daily from 4:00 p.m., pauses during the event from 6:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. and then runs until 9:45 p.m.
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