Local cowboys Bobby Mote and Charly Crawford will be joined in Las Vegas next week by fellow Oregonians Shawn Greenfield of Lakeview, Matt Funk of Hermiston and Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon.

The five Oregon cowboys are among the 118 contestants representing 21 states and one Canadian province at the 10-day National Finals Rodeo, which begins on Thursday. Only Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Arizona have qualified more contestants.

Of all the Oregon contenders, Greenfield has the best chance for an NFR title bid. The three-time National Finals qualifier is the No. 2 steer wrestler in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings, trailing the leader by approximately $23,000. Greenfield, 32, enters next week’s Finals as the recently crowned Columbia River Circuit champion in steer wrestling.

Cowboys and cowgirls on a hot streak can more than double their regular-season earnings at the Las Vegas finals. With a 2006 purse of $5.375 million, it’s the richest rodeo in the world. Steer wrestler Lee Graves of Calgary, Alberta ended the 2005 regular season in sixth place, and then went on to earn an NFR-record $126,412 and the world championship title during the 10-day event.

Hermiston’s Funk is making his first-ever National Finals appearance next week. With $59,726 in 2006 earnings, the team roper (header) is currently ranked seventh in the PRCA world standings. Funk, 28, recently captured the 2006 Columbia River Circuit team-roping title in Redmond.

Joining Greenfield in the steer-wrestling ranks is Mount Vernon’s Knowles, now in his third year competing at the Las Vegas rodeo. Knowles, 26, is 14th in the world standings entering the 2006 event.

For more information on the National Finals Rodeo, go to www.prorodeo.com.