CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CEAT Specialty Tire Inc. isn't horsing around with its latest sponsorship.
The U.S. subsidiary of the India-based tire maker has signed a three-year deal to partner with the World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) for a period of three years.
CEAT, which entered the North American market five years ago, is the official agricultural tire of the WCRA, a professional sport and entertainment entity that produces major rodeo events across America.
"Rodeo is such a natural fit for CEAT," CEAT Specialty CEO Amit Tolani said. "A large percentage of rodeo fans are farmers and ranchers. We were also drawn to the competitors themselves — young men and women who compete in rodeo at all levels."
According to the tire company, it also is sponsoring the Women's Rodeo World Championship (WRWC), an event open to any female athlete in the world competing in breakaway roping, barrel racing and team roping. This year's competition, organized by the WCRA and Professional Bull Riders, will be held Nov. 1-6 in Las Vegas in conjunction with the PBR World Finals.
CEAT also is sponsoring the National High School Rodeo Association, the world's largest youth western equine association, as well as the INFR, an organization devoted to enhancing and keeping Indian professional rodeo alive.
Mr. Tolani said the company is especially pleased to sponsor women's rodeo, "which is coming on very strong, as well as the junior high/high school competitors and Native American rodeo events."
CEAT representatives met farmers recently in Des Moines, Iowa, at the NHSRA junior high finals.
CEAT will be represented at upcoming event, including NHSRA in Bowman, N.D, Oct. 8-10; WCRA in Greensboro, N.C., Oct. 9-10; INFR in Las Vegas, Oct. 19-23; WRWC in Las Vegas ,Nov. 1-6; and NHSRA in Perry, Ga., Nov. 4-7.
