Fantasy rodeo connects fans with cowboys during WNFR

Las Vegas, Nev. – “I feel like fantasy rodeo games really get the fans in touch with the cowboys, and when they know what the contestants are doing that heightens their popularity and markets them,” says Rodeoteam.com owner Jason Vohs.
    Vohs says he and his wife Natasha bought the existing website three years ago, and this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is their second game.
    “I played Pro Fantasy Rodeo and then found Rodeoteam.com and thought ‘What a way to get involved with rodeo,’” says Vohs.
    “Me and my wife work on the site. I have a guy that does all the programming, but other than that it’s my wife and I,” he says. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s fun and I’m enjoying it. It’s growing fast, and I love rodeo so much I know it’ll take off. I’m enjoying the process.”
    When not managing the website Vohs rodeos and recruits for the U.S. Army. He grew up roping calves and team roping. “I wanted something else to involve myself in the sport of rodeo and help the sport grow, and this is a way,” says Vohs, who’s from Las Vegas. 
    Of the people who log into the site and buy teams, Vohs says it’s amazing how accurate their picks are. “People go in there and really do their homework,” he notes. “They study the contestants and they pick people I wouldn’t even know are good. It’s neat how informed the players really are.”
    He says players get their information on cowboys from a lot of sources, including prorodeo.com, the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association website. “Eventually I’ll have a guy doing all the stats on my site, and have them available during the NFR,” says Vohs. “Then people can really learn and know the averages on each person going in, and how much they win per year, and it’ll make a scientific way of guessing, but really in the top 15 at the Finals anyone can win.”
    In addition to the WNFR Vohs says the site will add the Timed Event Finals this year, as well as World’s Greatest Roper. “Hopefully there’s more to come,” he says.
    “The more we market the cowboys the better rodeo will be,” says Vohs of the site’s goal. “It’s mainly to promote the cowboys.”
    Anyone can log onto www.rodeoteam.com any time during the finals and buy teams to put together. Teams must be entered 30 minutes before each night’s round for nightly payouts.
    According to the website, the objective of the game is to select a rodeo team, using no more than $1,000,000, that will win the most money at the WNFR. This will be the total money earned by all nine of the team members combined, including rounds and average money.
    In addition to nine-member teams, players can select two barrel racers from each of three brackets, with those who pick the fastest cowgirls winning the game. The more money your cowgirls win, the more you will win in the Barrels Only game.
    Christy Hemken is assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at christy@wylr.net.