Western Heritage Ranch Rodeo
Manager: Jess Ketchum

Count on family fun at the Western Heritage Ranch Rodeo on Saturday, August 6th at noon.

If you have never attended a Ranch Rodeo then you are in for a real treat. Ranch Rodeo is an event that was re-created a number of years ago to return to the roots of rodeo when the first event was established in 1882. The event widely hailed as the first rodeo was held in North Platte, Nebraska and was produced by William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill). Buffalo Bill incorporated trick riding and a number of other entertaining additions to the rodeo.

The competition was about the ranches and who could be awarded the prize of being the best ranch in the rodeo. Ranch-versus-ranch contests gradually sprang up, and events were created that simulated what the ranch cowboys did for work each day on the ranch. These rodeos were a gathering of ranch families and became a social function that was not only a competition but a time of visiting with each other and sharing their lives. As time went on rodeo evolved and became a showcase of each individual cowboy rather than the team concept or ranch-verses ranch competitions that were originally held. Modern day Ranch Rodeo is a return to those times of sharing and friendly competition

In today's fast paced environment it is rare that one can go to a sporting event of any kind and see and feel the camaraderie and the friendliness that we feel at ranch rodeo. So come on down to the Archuleta County Fair and watch ranch cowboys and cowgirls compete in horse catching, calf branding, team penning, team doctoring and wild cow milking. Admission to watch the rodeo is included in your gate entry. If you'd like to enter this event, contact Jess at (970) 759-3210.