Rodeo is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico. Today, it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls. American style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos.
The City of Greeley is the Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is the principal city of the Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a major city of the Front Range Urban Corridor. Greeley is in northern Colorado and is situated 49 miles (79 km) north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to a July 2019 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the city is 108,649, and a 2019 population estimate made Greeley the 11th-most-populous city in Colorado.
The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing, and First Nations exhibitions. In 2008, the Calgary Stampede was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston or abbreviated HLSR, is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003. It was previously held in the Astrodome. It is considered to be the city's "signature event", much like New Orleans's Mardi Gras, Dallas's Texas State Fair, San Diego's Comic-Con and New York City's New Year's Eve at Times Square.
Peter Charles Knight was a Canadian and World Champion Rodeo Bronc Rider. Knight was the acclaimed "King of the Cowboys" of the 1930s, and held the Rodeo Association of America title "World Champion Bronc Rider" for 1932, 1933, 1935, and 1936. The Rodeo Hall of Fame in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum inducted Knight in 1958. The Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame inducted Pete in 1998. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado, inducted Knight in the Saddle Bronc Riding category when it opened its doors in 1979.
George Guy Weadick was an American-Canadian cowboy, performer and promoter. Today, he is best known as the founder of the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada. He was married to famed cowgirl, Florence LaDue. Weadick was the first to be inducted in the Builder category in the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, USA has grown to be one of the largest events in the city with more than two million visitors each year. It is one of the top Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeos in the nation. For 14 consecutive years it was awarded the PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year and attracts the world's best rodeo athletes and bucking stock. The event includes world-class entertainment, family-friendly educational activities and exhibits, a carnival, shopping, as well as horse and livestock shows.
Lane Clyde Frost was an American professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding, and competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He was the 1987 PRCA World Champion bull rider and a 1990 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee. He was the only rider to score qualified rides on the 1987 PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year and 1990 ProRodeo Hall of Fame bull Red Rock. He died in the arena at the 1989 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo as a result of injuries sustained when the bull Takin' Care of Business struck him after the ride.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National Finals Rodeo. The PRCA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.
Cheyenne Frontier Days is an outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the United States, held annually since 1897 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It bills itself as the "World's Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration." The event, claimed to be one of the largest of its kind in the world, draws nearly 200,000 annually. Lodging fills up quickly during the peak tourist season throughout southern and eastern Wyoming, into northern Colorado and western Nebraska. The celebration is held during the ten days centered about the last full week of July. In 2008, Cheyenne Frontier Days was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
The Snake River Stampede is a rodeo held in Nampa, Idaho. It is one of the top twelve professional rodeos recognized by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and is held for five days every year during the third week of July. There are many community events which help kick off the rodeo week. The rodeo was inducted by the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2014.
History of tracks the lineage of modern Western rodeo.
From 1987 to 2010, The National Circuit Finals Rodeo (NCFR) was held every spring in Pocatello, Idaho. Then from 2011 to 2013, the event took place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The event moved to Guthrie, Oklahoma in 2014. In 2015, the NCFR moved to Kissimmee, Florida. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCFR was rescheduled and moved to a different location. It was ultimately held September 10 through 13 at the Stampede Arena in Greeley, Colorado. The event was closed to the public. In 2021, the NCFR returned to Kissimmee, Florida and was held during its normal run in the springtime, but consisted of a limited and socially distanced crowd due to the ongoing pandemic. Qualification for the event comes via winning the season title or winning the average title at the circuit finals rodeo in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, or bull riding. A competitor must compete in one of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's (PRCA) 12 regional American circuits or two international circuits and qualify & win at one of the circuit finals events in order to participate in the National Circuit Finals Rodeo (NCFR).
DonaldGay is an American eight-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world champion bull rider. His father, Neal Gay, was a well-known rodeo competitor and rodeo producer. Don was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979; his father was inducted in 1993, becoming the only father and son to receive that honor. In 2015, Don was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. Don retired from professional rodeo in 1989.
Reg Kesler began his rodeo career at the age of 14 at the Raymond Stampede, competing in the boys steer riding. At the time, it was common for cowboys to compete in many or even all the rodeo events, and Kesler was no exception as he grew into his rodeo career. He participated in all five major rodeo events of the time: saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie-down roping and steer decorating, a precursor to steer wrestling. Kesler especially excelled in the roughstock events, namely saddle bronc riding and bareback riding, appearing in the top four in the Canadian standings in those events six times. He was also a successful competitor in the wild cow milking and wild horse racing, an outrider in the chuckwagon racing, and a well-known pick-up man. Kesler was a ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee.
The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, known commonly as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the oldest continuously running livestock show and rodeo. It has been held annually in Fort Worth, Texas since 1896, traditionally in mid-January through early February. A non-profit organization, the Stock Show has provided millions of dollars in grants and scholarships in its tenure and continues to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to assist the future leaders of agriculture and livestock management.
Trevor Brazile is an American rodeo champion who competes in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). He holds the record for the most PRCA world champion titles with 25. Brazile won his 25th title in 2019. Brazile also holds the record for the most World All-Around Cowboy Champion titles at 14, breaking the record of 7 titles held by Ty Murray, Murray's last earned was in 1998. In 2010, Brazile won his 8th all-around title, surpassing Murray's seven titles from 1998. Murray's titles were won all in roughstock events, as opposed to Brazile's timed-event wins, and he is still the youngest winner of the title.
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) is the governing body of professional rodeo in Canada. Its championship event is the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) held every November. The CPRA also tracks its champions in the List of Canadian Rodeo Champions and its hall of fame inductees in the List of Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Inductees.
Jerri Duce, also known as Jerri Duce Phillips, is a 9-time Canadian Barrel Racing Champion. She was the first Canadian woman to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo (1975) in the United States and was the first woman inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (1997). She also performed as a trick rider and stunt rider. She was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and runs a horseback riding school.
