Sport has changed through the years, and Gooding Pro Rodeo celebrates it
GOODING, Idaho – The sport of rodeo dates back to the 1800s, when drovers from opposing ranches tested their talents against one another in an empty lot in a small town in the American West.
A trio communities lay claim to hosting the first rodeo: Pecos, Texas; Prescott, Arizona; and Deer Trail, Colorado. The best hands on any ranching operation could rope just about anything and ride the wildest of horses. The talk spread, and bragging rights were at stake.
Over time, the competitions became a must-see event. Long before the NFL, the NHL and Major League Baseball began charging admission for their exhibitions, rodeo was one of the spectacles that drew fans.
Much has changed over the last century and a half. Rodeo involved into an overall entertainment package. Cowboys with a bit of flair began performing acts with a taste of the Old West mixed in. Brass bands added an element of sound, much like the organists at Wrigley Field in Chicago or Fenway Park in Boston. Two and a half decades ago, the brass was replaced by CDs and cassettes, which were mixed with updated music and vibrant sounds.
Now in the 2020s, the sport is a showcase of Americana mixed with modern times, and the entertainment value has been enhanced. Fans will get to experience it at the Gooding Pro Rodeo, set for Thursday, Aug. 15-Saturday, Aug. 17, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 14. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena. Tickets for Friday and Saturday night are already sold out, but there is still space for the opening two nights.
“In Gooding, we still believe in all the great things about rural America,” said Don Gill, the fair and rodeo manager. “The Western way of life has always been important around here, and we celebrate our heritage with our rodeo. For those of us who grew up around here, the Gooding Pro Rodeo is a chance to look at our past while enjoying what we have today.”
Decades ago, cowboys would arrive in a community and make themselves at home any way possible for a few days of competition. They’d sleep in tents or in their vehicles, which pulled two-horse trailers, or folks in town would offer bedrooms on occasion. Once the rodeo ended, they’d move on to the next rodeo.
Nowadays, contestants spend many thousands of dollars for specialized rigs with living-quarters trailers that can haul several horses, and they pull into town with these specialized apartments-on-wheels and get whatever rest they can. They may be in Canby, Oregon, during the day, then compete that night in Gooding, before heading on to Baker, Montana, as soon as they’re done.
Outside of Gooding County, there are 40 other PRCA events taking place across North America the same week. This is a busy time as cowboys and cowgirls traverse the highways and interstates chasing every dollar they can win, because that’s important. Only the top 15 on the money list in each event at the end of the regular season advance to the National Finals Rodeo in December. Regionally, only the top 12 advance to the Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo, which features contestants and rodeos primarily from Utah and southern Idaho and takes place in early November at Heber City, Utah.
“We recognize that this is a hectic time for the contestants, which is why we do everything possible to attract them to Gooding,” Gill said. “We offer a lot of prize money, thanks to our great supporters, and we try to give them all the amenities that we possibly can.
“A big deal in rodeo is having the kind of livestock the contestants can win on. Whether it’s good calves and steers or great bucking horses and bulls, that’s what the cowboys and cowgirls want, and we do everything we can to provide that for them.”
Of course, the Gooding Pro Rodeo wouldn’t be what it is without the fans, which creates a special ambiance for everyone who arrives at the fairgrounds for the fun. The electricity that comes out of the stands is infectious, and the contestants feed off that energy.
“There’s no other rodeo like it,” said saddle bronc rider CoBurn Bradshaw, a four-time NFR qualifier from Beaver, Utah. “It’s awesome to just go there. It’s a different environment in Gooding, and it’s worth the trip just to be ‘Beer Worthy.’ ”