12/11/2025
A deep dive into the NFR. A few Things to know before you hang the dirt crew at any event!
Like footing in many venues, the performance potential of the dirt at any given moment is the result of a complex set of interrelated variables — including at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). These issues are multi-faceted and stem from systemic challenges rather than a single cause. Factors that may contribute to perceived footing problems include poor local material availability, logistical challenges associated with storing and transporting dirt between events, television scheduling that limits optimal arena maintenance before barrel racing, and inconsistent drying caused by the venue’s HVAC system. When examined collectively, these challenges reveal just how layered the problem truly is.
Venue-specific challenges are not unique to the NFR or the Thomas & Mack Center. We have friends and associates directly involved in footing maintenance there. Too often, footing performance issues are pointed squarely at the NFR, the dirt crew, or even the barrel racers themselves, who are dismissed as being “too picky.” We build and maintain arenas for a living, and we author and offer the only online course in the world dedicated specifically to arena construction and footing science. My partner, Michael DePew, and I test ground for venues, design footing systems, and guide maintenance crews. This is what we do every day.
Some perception issues at the NFR — and many other venues — trace back decades to an old cowboy mindset: “Here’s a field — plow it up and call it arena dirt.” Riders were expected to cowboy up and deal with whatever the ground offered, whether that meant stones, hardware, glass, or wire. That is only one part of the problem. Quality material is extremely difficult to source around Las Vegas. Much of the native ground is high in carbonates, often more so than other mineral materials, which causes footing to lock up and compact prematurely. This leads to hardpan formation, and once a packed layer forms, adding moisture frequently makes the surface slick rather than functional. That challenge alone is significant.
Major events introduce another layer of complexity. Venue managers and promoters juggle countless responsibilities, and footing often falls lower on the priority list, particularly in multi-use facilities. Offseason testing and remediation are difficult because the dirt is typically removed immediately after equine events to make way for concerts, monster trucks, motorcycle events, and other productions. The rodeo dirt is hauled out, stored, and later brought back in. Some venues reuse the same stockpile for motorsports; others maintain separate piles. In either case, storage alone introduces contamination risks.
At the NFR, the dirt is intended to be stockpiled securely and used only for that event. However, once the rodeo concludes, the NFR itself is no longer responsible for the dirt’s security or handling. Over time, as the material is transported and reused, contamination risks increase. We have documented multiple instances where laboratory test results from one season do not match those from the next, indicating changes in the material.
Then there is television. Millions of dollars are invested in advertising, and every second of airtime is monetized. Broadcast schedules are rigid, and there is little tolerance for delays. As a result, there is often no opportunity to drag the arena before barrel racing. This puts the dirt crew in an impossible position: they must prepare footing that survives the entire rodeo and remains safe and consistent through the final barrel run. Anyone who understands footing knows this is far from ideal. A brief maintenance window before barrels — even a minimal drag — would be hugely beneficial, but time concessions are difficult to negotiate.
The dirt crew themselves do everything humanly possible. I know these men personally. These are the same professionals who are called in nationwide to “save” problematic ground when local crews are overwhelmed. They are the best of the best. You do not want their job during the NFR. Long days, longer nights, very little sleep, and nonstop pressure define that two-week stretch. They take their work seriously and have the rare ability to turn absolute chicken manure into chicken salad. When things go well, they’re praised; when something goes wrong, armchair experts claim someone else should have been hired. If that “someone else” were better, they’d already be there. Those opinions help no one.
HVAC systems and internal air movement inside the Thomas & Mack Center further complicate footing management. Airflow dries footing unevenly, and western footing requires relatively high moisture content to perform correctly. Certain zones dry faster than others, creating firmness variations across the arena. Spot watering becomes necessary. Watering the entire arena uniformly often makes the problem worse, not better. This issue exists in many enclosed venues but is particularly pronounced in smaller buildings like the Thomas & Mack.
Then there are the horses. These are the most powerful horses in the world. We recently designed and installed what will likely become the best arena in the eastern United States, where 120 horses competed in a single event without incident. Elite rodeo horses place extraordinary forces into the ground — far more than most people realize. They are all acceleration, no hesitation. Their turns generate forces that will destroy footing if it is not engineered properly. At the NFR, the footing must hold up through 15 barrel runs in succession without divot repair. That is an enormous demand and far exceeds the loading seen in most equine disciplines and large-scale events.
Barrel racing footing requires two distinct types of stability: vertical stability and lateral stability. Both are influenced by sand angularity, clay content, gradation, moisture levels, carbonate content, and grain roughness. Given all these variables, it’s no surprise that so many venues struggle. Watch the bulls at the NFR and you’ll see strong vertical stability. Lateral stability, however, could be improved. Could amendments help? Yes. Could a newly engineered footing be built? Absolutely. But very few people truly understand how to create footing that performs under this level of load. Many claim to know ground; only a handful actually do. Sales pitches and glossy marketing have bankrupted horse owners while solving nothing. The NFR may be hesitant to risk a full overhaul, though testing in Las Vegas and other venues is increasing. Implementing amendments there remains the bigger challenge.
Now, what this is not.
It is not the fault of the barrel racers. They are not “too picky.” Barrel racing imposes the highest combined vertical and lateral loads of any equine discipline. When the ground feels off, riders are right to speak up. You cannot please everyone, but when the majority expresses concern, it deserves attention.
It is not the fault of the dirt crew. These men do everything possible within the constraints they’re given. If they were allowed to drag before barrels — or every five runs — they would do so without hesitation. They walk a razor-thin line each night. Small changes, such as doors being left open longer than planned, can alter drying patterns dramatically. Moisture must be applied well in advance, with accurate predictions of how it will carry through the event. Attempting to wet overly dry footing just before competition is a recipe for disaster. Water timing and moisture management are critical and extraordinarily difficult to predict with precision.
It is not the fault of the concrete floor. Anyone blaming the slab does not understand footing mechanics. The footing profile is approximately 12 inches deep. Horses are not working on concrete. The system consists of a compacted pad layer and a cushion layer above it. If horses ride too high in the profile, there is insufficient displaced material to create traction, and they slip. If they ride too low, soft-tissue injury risk increases. The dirt crew continuously adjusts pad and cushion depths to avoid both extremes.
Ultimately, responsibility lies with the event organizers. They control the budget, logistics, and authority to implement meaningful changes. But once the event ends, planning shifts to the next year, the dirt is hauled away, and footing considerations often fade until the next NFR approaches.
So what can we all do? Become more educated about footing mechanics and reduce the volume of loud, uninformed opinions. The more intelligent and technically grounded the conversation becomes, the closer we move toward consistent, high-performance, and safer footing — not just at the NFR, but everywhere.
