History of Rodeo

Cowboys have emerged into great athletes and most are know as world renowned superstars.  Much of the modern-day rodeo evolved from the working cowboy and his duties on the range.  After months of back-breaking labor moving cattle across the country, cowboys celebrated the end of their grind by roping more cattle and riding wild broncs for fun and friendly competition.  It was from those informal, friendly competitions that on July 4, 1869, when two groups of cowboys met to settle an argument over who was best at performing everyday ranch duties.  This first competition was how the sport of rodeo evolved.  In 1936, the professional rodeo cowboy was born and the Cowboy Turtles Association was established.  In 1945, it was renamed the Rodeo Cowboys Association and in 1975, it became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.  Currently, there are approximately 7,000 cowboys who are members of the PRCA.  Rodeo has evolved from its rough origins into a high-stakes sport.  It’s no longer an informal competition, but a big, prestigious, tough competition with a tremendous audience.  Rodeo is more than a job and a profession for most of these competitors, it is a way of life. 

***Information courtesy of the PRCA