Ranch Rodeo hits the dirt this weekend

Don’t put your hats and cowboy boots away just yet because the Lion’s Club sponsored Ranch Rodeo is coming to town. Full of entertaining and competitive events, the two-night event will be fun for the whole family.

This year promises to be a big year for the ranch rodeo as well as the Lion’s Club who is celebrating their 90th anniversary. The ranch rodeo was one of a kind at its beginning in Thermopolis in 1974 and was featured in Western Horseman. The rodeo ran for almost ten years and then took a break until it returned to Thermopolis by popular demand 25 years ago. Now, both organizations are looking to celebrate these milestones with a one-of-a-kind celebration.

The Ranch Rodeo starts Friday July 10 at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds with gates opening at 5 p.m. and the Calcutta at 7 p.m. The rodeo begins afterwards at 7:30 p.m. and will feature 9 teams competing in wild cow riding, wild cow milking, branding, trailer loading, team doctoring, and ribbon roping. The events continue on Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. with a free pulled pork dinner with the purchase of your rodeo ticket. The ranch rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night as well.

If you’d rather be a cowboy than a spectator, gather your team of four to five people, including one female or youth participant, and submit your entry at White Horse Country Store or directly to organizer Trenda Moore (307) 921-1902.