Contact: Sarah Van Ert, Rodeo Austin® 512.919.3000 phone 512.919.3005 fax
[email protected] www.rodeoaustin.com FIRST PLAYOFF ROUND TAKES PLACE AT RODEO AUSTIN Austin, Texas, March 24, 2015 – Tonight Rodeo Austin kicks off the first playoff round of the Ride for the Brand Cowboy Tournament. Ten competitors from the qualifying rounds in each event will ride for the chance to win a spot in the finals on March 28. Saddle-bronc rider Clint Hopping will return tonight after placing second on March 15th in the second qualifying round. “I like the format this year,” Hopping said. “Each round is a clean slate for each rider, a fair chance to win a check and I’m glad I made it to the playoffs.” The next four days of rodeo will bring great competition as cowboys and cowgirls showcase their hard work while riding for the brand. “I started out at smaller rodeos to work up to getting to big rodeos like this,” Hopping said. “This is my first time competing here at Rodeo Austin in saddle bronc. Walking in today to the semi-finals meant so much to me to be here on my own.” Hopping will not advance to the finals, but that won’t keep him from holding his head high like a true cowboy. “I rode good, I felt good, the horse bucked, the crowd cheered, Boyz II Men is playing and there was a great atmosphere,” Hopping said. “Because of the nature of this rodeo, its stature and the weight it carries in our sport I felt like a true bronc rider.” Rodeo Austin is proud to support cowgirls and cowboys as they make a name for themselves in the great sport of rodeo.