Frontier Days

Worlds Oldest Rodeo

In the township of Prescott, Arizona, merchants and professional businessmen organized a "Cowboy Tournament" and offered cash prizes. July 4, 1888 became the birthday of what we know as the professional rodeo today. The earliest editions of Prescott's rodeo were mostly appealing to the local cowboys and ranchers, because it gave them the chance to bring their ranch-bred skills to the town for people to see. The early rodeo arenas of the late 1800s were merely a track of land roped off to keep the broncs from running away after they unseated their riders.

 As time went on the popularity of the rodeo grew as a spectator and contestant sport. Not only did the purse winnings grow, but the demand for quality livestock increased. No longer could the local rancher provide enough calves, steers and broncs to fulfill the needs of the larger number of cowboys participating in the rodeo. Changes had to be made, most important being to hire livestock contractors to furnish some of the best livestock available for rodeo competition.

The cowboy shares the limelight with the rodeo livestock. For a cowboy to compete at the highest level, the livestock must be in peak condition. The very nature of the rodeo requires a working relationship between the cowboys and the animal athletes. Each has to be in top form.

From the grassroots of the "Cowboy Tournament' to the modern day professional rodeo, this grandstand sport has grown into grandstand popularity. If you ever get a chance to view a live rodeo, it is some of the best fun to be had anywhere around. ¹ ²