NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Barbed Wire Entertainment flagship recording artist and owner of Maverick Management, Kolt Barber, has announced the launch the 2020 American Cowboy Showdown. In conjunction with Tony Keeton and Rockin’ K Rodeo (Lawenceburg, TN), the American country music traditionalist, “AG architect” and music business vet is the teaming with the professional stock contractor (Keeton) to take rodeo action and LIVE country music entertainment on the road.
Combining his heartfelt passions, Barber marries his devotion to the land with his love for music. The American Cowboy Showdown (sanctioned by the IPRA) embraces, and caters to, the blue collar, AG, farming, ranching and trucking communities and lifestyle. With 10 events contracted to date (and more being secured throughout the remainder of the year), the Southeast leg of the tour is set to launch on Saturday, June 13, 2020 in Shelbyville, TN.
“We were scheduled to launch in April; being sensitive to COVID-19 and the necessity for ‘safe distancing,’ we postponed,” Barber said.“While we remain extremely empathetic to the economic hardships that our friends, families and neighbors have endured, we are as equally enthusiastic to reunite them at this fun-filled, family and community event. …and our commitment, first and foremost, is to provide a safe environment—with all required guidelines in place—to enable folks a comfort to enjoy themselves at an entertainment outing that is affordable to bring the entire family.”
“While larger concerts and rodeo events have been cancelled, we have been encouraged by the overwhelming response to ‘open the gates.' We are expecting some of the top competitors in the country as well as some reigning and former world champions,” Tony Keeton stated.“I believe folks are ready to get out and rodeo, and we are thankful we have the blessing of the IPRA to launch.”
“Customarily, we hold more than 450 IPRA sanctioned events each year. With nearly twenty percent cancelled, early on, due to the COVID-19 virus, this has been a trying time; cowboys and cowgirls are ready to get back to ‘rodeo’ as primary to their livelihood as their only source of income,” said IPRA Chief Field Rep, Ronnie Williams, who is an eight-time horseback champion and rodeo veteran. "The American Cowboy Showdown will mean a lot to world championship contenders, the respective hosting communities and local merchants, and folks who come out to enjoy the excitement. We anticipate the American Cowboy Showdowns to draw some of the biggest crowds in the history of the IPRA in the coming weeks."
“The cowboy hat is the most recognized symbol in the world and signifies a frontier spirit and an all-American lifestyle. Our hope is to revive this sentiment. Now more than ever, we all need it; it’s important,” added Barber.
American Cowboy Showdown organizers are teaming with various sponsors and local youth organizations to provide facemasks and hand sanitizer to attendees at gate entry. For more information visit koltbarber.com or americancowboyshowdown.com
