The Arena – just southeast of Guthrie and northeast of Edmond/Oklahoma City – opened its doors in December 1984 in time for that season’s National Finals Steer Roping to coincide with the National Finals Rodeo, which took place in downtown Oklahoma City. Ga***rd III was that the two Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association championships take place at the same time in the same metropolitan area, and the plan worked – for one year. Since 1985, the NFR has taken place in Las Vegas. But rodeo and many other championship quality events found a comfortable home in the confines of the Lazy E Arena. Since its inception, the building has hosted world champions, world championships and personalities galore. The main arena floor is 440 feet-by-160 feet, making it the largest indoor rodeo arena in the world. What started as the host site for the steer roping championship quickly became the epitome of quality rodeo production. Taking place in March of every year, the Timed Event Championship is the Lazy E’s marquee event. The TEC Features the very best all-around timed-event hands in professional rodeo, including record-breakers like Trevor Brazile, Leo Camarillo, and Roy Cooper. Competitors compete in each of the five rodeo timed-event disciplines, and it’s a true test of each cowboy’s athleticism. Quite possibly the most popular event in the Lazy E’s history is Bullnanza, which was developed in 1988 as a way to showcase the top bull riders in professional rodeo. The idea was simple, yet unique. The organizers pitted the best bull riders in the business against the baddest bulls. From those fantastic beginnings, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) was born. Today it thrives as the world’s premier stand-alone bull-riding organization. While the building hosts close to 30 lease events annually, Lazy E Productions also produces an additional 12 championship quality events,some at the Lazy E Arena and the others spanning the country. It’s a marriage that has worked rather well for over 30 years! The Lazy E is more than just a Western sports-event facility. Also part of the formula is the Lazy E Ranch and Training Center, and the arena itself has also hosted many concerts, conventions, wedding receptions, bicycle racing, trade-shows, and dirt-bike racing for years. In 2005, Ga***rd sold the property to a partnership from Nevada, and in October 2013 the property was sold to the McKinney Family from Midland, Texas. The relatively new ownership group has long recognized not only the tremendous facility, but also the importance of the Lazy E’s place in Rodeo and Oklahoma lore. The Family has committed to maintaining the Lazy E as the World’s premier western entertainment facility. Many updates and renovations are taking place at the Arena which will only enhance the lure of the Lazy E to the general population.
