International Finals Youth Rodeo to Debut Service Heroes Night

(SHAWNEE, Okla.) - The 26th annual International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR) is proud to present Service Heroes Night on Friday, July 13 during the 7:30 p.m. finals performance. The IFYR is a week-long event running through Friday at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, 1700 W. Independence in Shawnee.
The first 600 veterans, active duty military members and first responders who attend the Friday evening finals performance receive free admission for themselves and a guest with valid ID. These special guests will be recognized in the patriotic Grand Entry set to include an honor guard.
Service Heroes Night will also feature Bill Ford, director and owner of Shawnee Milling Company, as special guest to speak on behalf of our heroes. Ford served as a captain in the Field Artillery in the United States Army and actively promotes veterans affairs efforts in Shawnee.
Rodeo attendees will receive American flags to wave during the Grand Entry and the evening's performance in honor of our heroes.
“We hope everyone in the community will come out and show their support for our role models, our heroes,” said Chris Dunlap, assistant director of the International Finals Youth Rodeo and Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center. “Friday evening will be very special with Service Heroes Night and the excitement of the finals performance.”
Tickets to Service Heroes Night and to all other IFYR performances can be purchased in advance of each performance at the Expo Center Box Office. For more information, visit IFYR.com.
The International Finals Youth Rodeo, held annually since 1993, is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that presents top high school athletes with a professional rodeo. The internationally-recognized IFYR is held annually at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The action-packed event includes hundreds of contestants vying to win more than $250,000 in prize money, competing in 10 events running simultaneously in three arenas over six days. In 2017, more than 875 contestants and their families traveled from 34 states plus Australia to participate in the IFYR. For more information, visit IFYR.com or call (800) 762-7695.
Photo information: The American flag on display during Grand Entry at IFYR 2018 on Monday evening.
Photo credit: IFYR
The first 600 veterans, active duty military members and first responders who attend the Friday evening finals performance receive free admission for themselves and a guest with valid ID. These special guests will be recognized in the patriotic Grand Entry set to include an honor guard.
Service Heroes Night will also feature Bill Ford, director and owner of Shawnee Milling Company, as special guest to speak on behalf of our heroes. Ford served as a captain in the Field Artillery in the United States Army and actively promotes veterans affairs efforts in Shawnee.
Rodeo attendees will receive American flags to wave during the Grand Entry and the evening's performance in honor of our heroes.
“We hope everyone in the community will come out and show their support for our role models, our heroes,” said Chris Dunlap, assistant director of the International Finals Youth Rodeo and Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center. “Friday evening will be very special with Service Heroes Night and the excitement of the finals performance.”
Tickets to Service Heroes Night and to all other IFYR performances can be purchased in advance of each performance at the Expo Center Box Office. For more information, visit IFYR.com.
The International Finals Youth Rodeo, held annually since 1993, is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that presents top high school athletes with a professional rodeo. The internationally-recognized IFYR is held annually at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The action-packed event includes hundreds of contestants vying to win more than $250,000 in prize money, competing in 10 events running simultaneously in three arenas over six days. In 2017, more than 875 contestants and their families traveled from 34 states plus Australia to participate in the IFYR. For more information, visit IFYR.com or call (800) 762-7695.
Photo information: The American flag on display during Grand Entry at IFYR 2018 on Monday evening.
Photo credit: IFYR