Utah bareback riders know big things happen at Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo
SALT LAKE CITY – For Utah men who ride bucking horses, competing at the state capital is important to their heritage and their legacy.
“It’s a rodeo that’s in my backyard that I look forward to being at, and they’ve done such a dang good job putting it together,” said bareback rider Mason Clements, 32, of Spanish Fork, Utah. “I love being there in front of my hometown crowd. They’re starting to bring some awesome stock there, and people want more rodeo after the Days of ’47.”
While Salt Lake City hosts a summer celebration for the Days of ’47 each July, the spectacle that is part of the Utah State Fair each September is a reflection of the importance rodeo has across the Beehive State.
Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, and Saturday, Sept. 7, with the final performance at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, in the Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairgrounds in Salt Lake City. Tickets can be purchased at UtahStateFair.com/tickets.
“When the fair comes around, it brings people back out and makes for a great live crowd,” Clements said. “When you experience this rodeo, you know how good it really is.”
Big crowds and quality entertainment help make the rodeo an important stop during ProRodeo’s regular season, which ends the final day of September. With contestants scrambling in the final month to earn the right to compete at the National Finals Rodeo, doing well in Salt Lake City the first weekend of that month is vital.
“Salt Lake City is an awesome rodeo,” said Dean Thompson, who is closing in on his second straight NFR qualification. “I’ve got history there. I went to Puyallup (Washington) last year hoping to do good and ended up doing no good. I had to scramble to make it to Salt Lake, ended up splitting first, and that’s what pushed me – along with winning Pendleton (Oregon) – to the NFR.
“Salt Lake is awesome because you’re going to see all the best guys in the world because they’re going to be scrapping to make it to the finals.”
The State Fair of Utah also holds a big place in Thompson’s heart for other reasons. Now 22, he was raised near Altamont, Utah, on a farm where the family raises sheep. Like so many exhibitors during the exposition, he has shown animals and understands the prestige that comes with raising and grooming sheep. Just getting the nod to show an animal at the state fair is a huge honor for youngsters in FFA and 4H.
“I like to go there for the fair, too,” he said. “It’s our state fair, and it’s well-celebrated. It’s an awesome rodeo and fun to be part of.”
Caleb Bennett was raised in Tremonton, Utah, and never got into the fair as an exhibitor. He’s been one of the elite bareback riders in ProRodeo for most of the last 15 years. He qualified for the first of 10 trips to the NFR in 2012. He’s been crowned champion of Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo multiple times, most recently in 2021.
“It’s been a good rodeo for me in the past,” said Bennett, 35, now living in Corvallis, Montana. “It adds really good money, and there’s really good opportunities. The horses are awesome. It’s just one of those rodeos that is rolling right into crunch time in the season, so it’s one of those you don’t want to miss.”
The opportunities are key. Part of the equation for cowboys that ride bucking horses is being matched with top stock. Utah’s Own PRCA Rodeo will have Wyoming-based Summit Pro Rodeo as its primary livestock producer, and Summit will bring in Muddy Creek ProRodeo and Vold Pro Rodeo to help maintain a high quality of bucking stock.
“That makes it really fun, because you get to show off all your style and your talent,” said Clements, who is scratching and clawing late this season to secure a sixth trip to Las Vegas in December. “When you get horses there that really love to show off their styles and their talents, it makes it fun for everybody. You know you’re not going to have a bad ride there at all.”
With the season on the line, the toughest bronc busters in rodeo will be in Salt Lake City to test their mettle on great horses in front of big crowds eager to watch the top talent perform.