ProFile: Luke Branquinho
Five-time World Champion Steer Wrestler Luke Branquinho won’t be shaking his booty under the bright lights of Las Vegas this December. He’s spent way too […]
ProFile: Chris Woodruff
Stetson Country Christmas
Written by: Siri Stevens
< Back to ArticlesChris Woodruff is the man behind Stetson Country Christmas, Roper Cowboy Marketplace, and his latest venture, ALL IN Barrel Race and ALL IN Breakaway – both held at the Orleans Arena during the WNFR and guaranteeing more than $800,000 payout. Chris rode bareback horses in high school and college. “I was in the era of Bruce Ford and I wasn’t that level,” he admits. He got his start with a family owned advertising company in the oil field industry. “I learned how to talk to people and get my foot in the door –Las Vegas can be so intimidating in 2019. But when I started in 1994 that wasn’t the case.” He got into real estate for awhile and then in 1994, he saw the need for additional shopping during the NFR and the “rest is history.”
“When I first started my goal was 100 booths – with hard work, effort and a great team, we’ve grown it into a must shop must see shopping experience during the NFR.” The first year he managed to get 500 booths into the Sands Expo and it grew from there. Fast forward to 2019 and between the two trade shows (Roper Cowboy Marketplace at Mandalay Bay and Stetson Country Christmas) it grew to more than 2,000 10×10 booths.
With an unexpected move from the Sands Expo in 2016, Chris was given an opportunity to expand into producing an event. “I find the good in everything,” he said. “That move downtown got us into the ALL IN Barrel Race which we held downtown at the World Market Center, in conjunction to the Stetson Country Christmas. 2016 was the first year for the ALL IN.”
Stetson Country Christmas has found a new permanent home at the Rio Hotel and Casino, with 14 acres of free parking on Twain Street (west side of the Rio). “Once people get there, they will be amazed at the accessibility of the shopping. We are already sold out of exhibit space.”
Being in Las Vegas at the level of what he produced for 25 years with the two trade shows, Chris saw a need to cater to barrel racers. “The barrel racing interest comes from my daughter, Autumn, who started racing when she was 12.” Autumn was actually allergic to horses and was willing to take shots or whatever it took to be around them. She has outgrown it and keeps her allergies under control with over the counter medications. Chris has been a hands-on dad, attending the barrel racings that Autumn ran at and seeing firsthand what each event was like from the competitor side. “I saw the need for the barrel race event after watching the success with the team ropers and the World Series. Why not let the barrel racers have their presence,” he said. “I’m an entrepreneur; we produced the trade shows for 25 years so we have knowledge of how Las Vegas works internally. Group W Productions was an operational partner for the Rose Palace in San Antonio – so we put on several events there over the years. We just moved to bigger and better and set our sights on Las Vegas. We’ve participated first hand as a competitor so we’ve seen all the misses that a producer misses at an event. I take that into consideration and that’s part of our plan – to be everything we can be at the ALL IN.”
“The concept is “ALL IN.” We want it to be a seamless experience for the barrel racers. There’s only 15 going to the NFR and this offers others a part of the pageantry and the lights plus pocket some pretty nice prize money.” Each entry includes a hotel room and stall, contestant’s jacket, trailer parking and more goodies as time goes. Sponsors are stepping up to add perks all the time. “We’ve got everyone entering from Sydni Blanchard to the weekend warriors and grandmas. Sydni is now one of the sponsors – she is giving one of her saddles to the fastest time to the event.”
Whatever race entered, starting on Thursday, December 5th, each contestant gets two go rounds, and a short round. The top 30 of every D to the short go. “It’s a clean slate race in the short go, so who knows who will get it.”
The entries are limited by the number of stalls available on each race – and now they added breakaway with a guaranteed $100,000 – so Chris encourages anyone interested to get their entries in early. “We want to make this ALL IN Barrel Race as big as we can make it. I had no idea we’d be paying over $700,000 by the fourth year of the event, and that’s just the barrels. The breakaway is $100,000. I haven’t seen anything where the breakaway is paid out that much. I feel like we’re stepping out there pretty good.”
Related Posts
ProFile: Kent Magnuson
Kent Magnuson did his rodeoing when he was young, and now he gets to continue in the sport with his job. The Kearney, […]
ProFile with the Snake River Stampeders
The velvet darkness of the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas, Nev., has been lit up five times by the Snake River Stampeders, a […]
