The Pikes Peak region is home to rodeos.
The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo has been a local staple since 1936, with only two cancellations: three years during World War II and one year during the pandemic. In addition to entertaining 30,000 fans, net proceeds will be donated to support quality of life initiatives for active-duty military families in the area.
“The purpose of the rodeo is to continue to encourage, advance and celebrate western culture and the western way of life,” said Chris Whitney, chairman of the rodeo committee. “We care for our active duty military families and remind everyone that this is not Connecticut, we are the west and we like to do western things.”
Then a few years ago, our local event gained even more luster in the eyes of cowboys and cowgirls across North America when the rodeo partnered with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and became the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) Open at Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.
Instead of five shows over four days, there will be seven shows over five days. Champions from 12 of the nation’s professional rodeo circuits, plus champions from Mexico and Canada, will converge on Colorado Springs.
“We’re competing on a bigger stage now,” Whitney said. “The rodeo has become one of the largest in the country and a popular event. Participants compete for $1 million in prize money. It’s international, attracting top competitors from around the world.”
The rodeo began Tuesday and will run through July 13 at the Norris Penrose Events Center.
But first, the parade that kicks off the festivities: At 10 a.m. Saturday, the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Parade will make its slow march along Tejon Street from St. Vrain Street to Vermijo Avenue.
Long ago, the parade began as the Blossom Festival. It changed to its current name in 1937 and is traditionally used to honor the Girls of the West, young rodeo ambassadors dedicated to promoting the western lifestyle. Makenna Norton will once again be the Girl of the West and emcee this year’s event, along with Grand Marshall Col. David Hanson, commander of Space Base Delta 1 at Peterson Space Command Base.
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When Darren Skanson saw the Colorado Springs School for the first time, he was blown away.
“Colorado Springs isn’t technically a mining town, but it’s always been a tourist and development town, and our western heritage is part of what draws people here,” said Kaylee O’Donnell of O’Donnell & O’Donnell, the parade’s organizer.
“The 1859 Gold Rush may have given rise to the nickname Pikes Peak or Bust, there’s a shrine to Will Rogers, and this may technically be the home of the Marlboro Man.”
New to this year’s parade will be the “Lil’ Cowpokes Stick Horse Races” starting at 9 a.m., which are open to children ages 3 to 8.
“It’s their first experience of what a rodeo is like,” O’Donnell said.
Last year’s inaugural stick horse race was such a hit with spectators that organizers this year brought in the mayor, sheriff and county coroner to compete in their own race after the kids. Media-covered stick horse races will also follow.
The rodeo will feature 200 two-legged competitors and an equal number of four-legged competitors competing in bareback riding, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronco riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding.
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Weekend events happening in and around Colorado Springs this weekend.
Bryce Ledo, a welder from Texas, leaves his normal life behind to head to the Springs as a second-year bullfighter. He’s one of two men donning clown makeup, baggy pants and protective vests to distract the bull from the bullfighter during the bullfight. Their job is technically to protect the cowboy.
“If a rider falls or tries to get off, as soon as he’s on the ground we sneak in and pull the bull off at all costs,” Ledo said. “Even if we have to stand there for a while and hold onto the bull until the cowboy gets up, that’s part of the job.”
His list of injuries is long — a broken tailbone, a torn Achilles tendon, bruised ribs, sprained fingers, a kick to the face — but he takes his duties seriously.
“If it’s a bull you’ve seen before and you know he likes rodeo a little bit, you have a game plan and you keep it in the back of your mind for what might happen, but you’re dealing with an animal that has a mind of its own. Whatever it did last week, it might not do this week. Anticipating what it did last week could put you in a tight spot,” Ledo said.
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