Nearly 160 years ago in 1869, ranch hands from the small town of Deer Trail and the surrounding areas gathered up their toughest horses to see which bronc breaker could hang on the longest.

“These were real working cowboys on real ranch horses — no arena polish, just skill, grit and determination,” says Carly Bowling, a volunteer with the Deer Trail Rodeo.

The eastern Colorado town is among a handful of locales to claim the honor of hosting the first-ever organized rodeo. Meanwhile, informal contests went down throughout the West as cowboys came together to put their skills to the test.

Over a century and a half later, the tradition they started has grown exponentially and is still going strong throughout the state. Rodeo has become a sport all its own, with higher-caliber athletes than ever at the professional level, and has spread across the nation and the world.

But, it remains deeply entrenched in Western heritage, and Colorado rodeos bring families and communities together every summer to keep the spirit alive.

THE START OF RODEO

Formal and informal events that eventually morphed into today’s rodeos started popping up in Western towns soon after the Civil War.

Some of the first occurred as a result of the late 19th century cattle drives from Texas to Kansas, according to Megan Winterfeldt, exhibits and collections coordinator for the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs. During this time, cowboys drove millions of longhorns across state lines to meet northern beef demand, and things got fun when they were finally paid in the Sunflower State.

“You got all these guys that had to learn how to rope and to ride horses and drive cattle,” Winterfeldt explains. After the long trip, they were highly skilled, happy for a payday and ready to show off. Before long, townspeople were coming to watch and gamble on the spectacle as well.

Soon, as promoters recognized their entertainment value, cowboys began appearing as part of circus acts and Wild West shows, while contests in other communities continued emerging over the years.

They tested skills athletes acquired on the ranch or the long cattle drive, like roping and saddle bronc riding.

Trick rider Bailey Bauer started her career performing at True Western Roundup in Durango. LEGIT WESTERN MEDIA

According to Winterfeldt, “It is the only sport to have evolved from a working lifestyle.”

“A lot of the stuff that you see at a rodeo will get done on a ranch,” she says.

Colorado, she adds, has a “very rich rodeo history,” and rodeos in communities like Gunnison and Meeker were already running around the turn of the 20th century.

Though the cattle drives ended by this time, Winterfeldt says, towns were taking note of the “cowboy contests” and incorporating them into events like local festivals and Fourth of July celebrations, with the goal of highlighting Western heritage.

As Bowling notes, there were no “arena polish” and no stadium lights for the first rodeos. But even in the early days, she says of the Deer Trail event, “It was as much a community gathering as a competition.”

The lights, of course, would come later.

RIDING STEADY

Over the years, rodeo has become a sport in its own right, and competitors at the highest level are often no longer ranch hands but full-time athletes, according to Winterfeldt.

Western culture is still alive and well at these events, which preserve old traditions and welcome new and lifelong fans year after year. There are still opportunities out there at local rodeos for cowboys and cowgirls of all levels, and plenty to see for those in the stands.

As the years went on, rodeos grew to include not just more events, but traditions like royalty awards, mutton-busting for the kiddos and showcases like the Western Slope-based San Juan Sparkles & Spurs performance team between competitive events.

Across the Western Slope, rodeo fans can find action in communities ranging from Steamboat Springs to Montrose to Mesa and Ouray counties. In some, the rodeo is just one part of a special community celebration, and many are tied to local fairs or special events.

Deer Trail, for example, hosts a concert each year as part of the festivities, while Eagle adds a carnival.

Down in Durango, producer Pam Petrie is working hard to make sure one of the state’s newest rodeo series, the True Western Roundup, offers a genuine and exciting experience for fans whether it’s their first rodeo or 100th.

The series hosts events on Wednesday nights throughout the summer, and Petrie explains founder Al Harper started it simply because Durango didn’t have its own rodeo, even though events have come and gone throughout the years.

Now in its 13th season, Petrie says True Western Roundup is all about community and local heritage, including respecting the diversity of the area.

“It’s important that our Western heritage stay alive,” she says. “We accomplish that by building community and authenticity.”

The Roundup does so with flair, adding a little bit of spice to the weekly events by mixing some new with the old on special occasions. For example, Petrie has collaborated with the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally for a unique rodeo that will return this September, as well as hosting a variety show that harkens back to the Buffalo Bill Days.

“We will often throw something different in,” she says, and one of her favorite moments was bringing the San Juan Symphony to perform in the arena, accompanied by cowgirls performing acrobatics on horseback.

“It was beautiful,” she says, and served to celebrate Western culture while exposing audiences to something they may not have seen before.

While rodeo has expanded over the years, and each community may celebrate theirs a little differently, they still have plenty in common.

The events cowboys and cowgirls compete in still focus on skills they may need on the ranch, and Winterfeldt notes even attire is regulated, as athletes must compete in the traditional boots, jeans and a cowboy hat.

“No competing in tennis shoes,” she says.

“Even with all that growth, a lot has stayed the same,” Bowling adds.

“The rodeo plays an important role in keeping Western heritage alive and accessible to everyone in the community,” she says. “It’s known as a very family-friendly event where spectators are close to the action, kids can run in races and everyone can truly feel like part of it, rather than just watching from the sidelines.”

Originally published in the summer 2026 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Saddle Up: Heritage At The Heart Of Western Colorado Rodeos

THE START OF RODEO

RIDING STEADY