PRCA Rodeo will be back in 2021

The Thermopolis Cowboy Rendezvous PRCA Rodeo has been canceled for 2020 due to COVID-19 health orders. The rodeo was scheduled for the last weekend in June.

Local committee members had worked with committee members from other large rodeos around the state for months to decide the future of their events.

Governor Mark Gordon made the cancelation announcement a few weeks ago, while flanked by a representative from each event, including committee member T.J. Owsley of the Thermopolis PRCA Rodeo.

After that announcement, some of those rodeo committees put together a plan to hold their events while following current Wyoming Health Orders. The Thermopolis PRCA Rodeo committee submitted a plan to health officials but ultimately finalized the cancelation of the rodeo last week.

The committee struggled with having to contact business to ask for money when many of them had been closed for nearly two months and had laid employees off.

"We didn't want to put added financial burden on businesses by asking them for money to sponsor the rodeo," said Owsley.

The group is focusing on returning in 2021 with an event that is strong than ever.

History of rodeo

in Thermopolis

The late Dorothy Milek, a Hot Springs County historian, compiled this information which was included in previous rodeo programs.

Thermopolis' first known rodeo was held in 1895. Four men from the Big Horn country decided to visit the hot springs and talked the cowpunchers into putting on a riding contest. The cowboys showed up driving a bunch of wild horses to buck. Thus began the legacy of rodeo in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Thirteen years later, a grandstand, track and baseball field were built near that same spot, in time for a July 4, 1908 celebration. Purses of $50, $35 and $15 were offered contestants in a bucking contest. In 1916, land was to have been given to the town to build a new grandstand, race track and ball park.

Movie/T.V. star-to-be, Tim McCoy and son of pioneer ranch family, Robert Price, joined ranks to produce a Wild West/Stampede/Roundup to be held on July 4, 1919. The event was covered by the Denver Post. A special train brought spectators from Fremont County to see this Wild West show.

In August 1921, Owl Creek residents pushed to produce another rodeo. It was attended by 1,500 people. The first annual "Night Herd" with 38 events was held August 7, 1928. Despite the county evaluation being down by $400,000, the Night Herd was a success.

Fifty-six business men and individuals contributed and formed the Thermopolis Rodeo Association in 1935, under the American Legion with support from city and county officials as well as the fire department. Several events were held in the arena at once. The local paper announced, "The jails are ready for the rodeo crowd." The year 1938 boasted $1,800 in cash prizes and $500 in merchandise, night show/rodeo, pioneer pageant and daily parades, open air dancing and swimming every night. The stone wall surrounding the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds was completed in 1939 in time for the Labor Day "Big Roundup" featuring an Indian Buffalo hunt and Indian Bucking Buffalo Riding. Rodeo World magazine (Aug. 1940) rated the Thermopolis Annual Rodeo as one of the best to see this year and referred to it as one of the ten best in the United States and fans were not disappointed. Rodeo fans came from far and wide to the "finest rodeo grounds in the country." "Hotels, rooming houses, cabin camps, tourist camp grounds...we have them all, to fit every purse." Thermopolis Rodeo popularity continued through the 1950s with the annual rodeo drawing top-ranking contestants. Locals recall National Guardsmen standing on the stone wall to prevent spectators from sneaking in. Casey Tibbs had a matched bronc riding contest with another top cowboy held here in Thermopolis. People still recall the lavender Cadillac parked behind the bucking chutes.

The Thermopolis Rodeo continued through the 1970s and in the 1980s focus changed from PRCA to high school and youth rodeos. In 2005, a group of PRCA rodeo fans, business people and community members pulled together to restore PRCA rodeo to Hot Springs County. Because of the commitment of contestants, sponsors and fans, the Thermopolis Cowboy Rendezvous PRCA rodeo continues to grow and will hopefully take its place once again among the top rodeo's in the nation.