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California Rodeos

Whether you’re headed to the beach, the forests, the mountains, or iconic cities, California offers something for everyone.

California has also played an important role in western history. For example, consider the gold rush. If you’re heading to California, consider learning more about western history and traditions. You’ll see some of these traditions at a rodeo, and California has some big, well-known rodeos to see.

California Rodeo Salinas

In July, you can see impressive rodeo performances at California Rodeo Salinas. This rodeo is a California tradition dating to 1911. It’s also a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) supports hundreds of rodeos and organizes the National Finals Rodeo each year.

In addition to the typical PRCA rodeo events, you can see freestyle bullfights, a horse show, industrial calf dressing, horse parades, a junior rodeo, and WPRA barrel racing.

The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) supports women’s rodeo sports and organizes finals each year.

Rodeo Salinas is a great family even because it has many activities and events for kids. Kids can participate in mutton busting, stick horse racing, dummy roping, an autograph party, the Kiddie Kapers Parade, and the kids corral. You can also enjoy a carnival, live music, the Crown Royal Saloon, Heritage Museum, and the Coors Banquet Bull Xing.

If you’re in California in July, be sure to check out the festivities at California Rodeo Salinas.

Clovis Rodeo

Enjoy bareback riding, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie down roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping performances at the Clovis Rodeo. It’s a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo with roots dating to 1914.

What makes the Clovis Rodeo stand out is that its organizers plan a month’s worth of festivities around the rodeo. All of these festivities help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities like 4-H, FFA, Clovis Schools, Clovis Community Hospital, and more.

In addition to its PRCA rodeo, the Clovis Rodeo also hosts a Jackpot Roping Night, a ranch rodeo, and a Gold Card Roping competition. A ranch rodeo is a team competition where teams perform typical rodeo tasks. The Gold Card Roping competition is a team roping competition.

Kids can participate in mutton bustin’. Kids with mental and physical challenges can compete in the Special Kids Rodeo where they partner with cowboys and cowgirls to compete in modified rodeo events.

Clovis Rodeo recognises Rodeo Grand Marshalls, an Artist, and a Rodeo Queen. This dedication to Western Art is a special part of the Clovis Rodeo. It even hosts a Kids Art Competition showcasing how rodeo and Western life inspires artists.

You’ll enjoy a rodeo parade and the Clovis & KISS Country Concert Series, the Clovis Rodeo Dance, and the Rodeo Afterparty.

Get tickets to the Clovis Rodeo if you’re nearby in April.

Red Bluff Roundup

The Red Bluff Roundup also occurs in April. This rodeo is in Tehama County and traces its roots to 1921. It’s the largest three-day rodeo in the United States.

The Red Bluff Roundup is a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo. You can see bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. You can also see the Red Bluff Wild Ride where cowboys in costume ride on bucking horses.

In addition to rodeo events, you can enjoy watching horse races, a trail ride, a Kiwanis pancake breakfast, a mixer, a cowboy golf tournament, chili cook-off, concerts, business decorating, and a car show. You can even visit the Red Bluff Roundup Museum to learn more about the rodeo’s history.

The Red Bluff Roundup generates hundreds of thousands of dollars to help local organizations. It participates in the Golden Circle of Champions, which recognizes 20 families with a child diagnosed with cancer at the National Finals Rodeo. It also supports Tough Enough to Wear Pink, a fundraiser to support breast cancer patients.

The Red Bluff Roundup also hosts a PRCA Youth Camp to support young rodeo athletes in rodeo sports.

Oakdale Rodeo

Dating to 1946, there’s a lot to experience at the Oakdale Rodeo. At this PRCA rodeo, you can see all the typical rodeo events, team roping, and barrel racing.

In addition to competitive performances, you can enjoy a rodeo parade, Cowboy Museum Mixer, the Oakdale Rodeo Dance, and Cowboy Church.

The Oakdale Rodeo also supports Tough Enough to Wear Pink and hosts a Junior Rodeo.

Add this April rodeo to your itinerary!

Rowell Ranch Rodeo

In May, you can enjoy the Rowell Ranch Rodeo. Sanctioned by the PRCA, the Rowell Ranch Rodeo offers everything you’re looking for from a rodeo: bull riding, steer wrestling, bronc riding, and more.

The Rowell Ranch Rodeo also does a lot of work to make its rodeo a family-friendly event. Kids can learn about rodeo from cowboys in the rodeo arena at the Cowboy Experience. Local kids with mental or physical challenges can participate in modified rodeo events at Special Partners.

Beyond these events, you can enjoy cowboy style tri-tip barbeque, live music, dancing, the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Parade, and the Cowgirl Picnic.

Enjoy your trip to Castro Valley and experience long-standing traditions at the Rowell Ranch Rodeo.

Redding Rodeo

Organized by the Redding Rodeo Association and Redding Rodeo Auxiliary, the Redding Rodeo is another great California tradition. It started in 1943.

The Redding Rodeo works with Chicks N Chaps to raise money for local individuals and families impacted by breast cancer. As they fundraise, they also promote rodeo sports and the Western lifestyle.

In May, you can see typical rodeo events at the Redding Rodeo. Beyond these competitive performances, kids can participate in mutton bustin’. Kids with disabilities can participate in Special Kids Day. They’ll enjoy horseback rides, wagon rides, and rodeo clown performances.

Livermore Rodeo

In June, you can see the Livermore Rodeo. It’s organized each year by the Livermore Stockmen’s Rodeo Association.

The Livermore Rodeo is a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo, so you’ll see all the most popular rodeo events – bull riding, barrel racing, bronc riding, and more. In addition to these events, the Livermore Rodeo hosts a team branding mixer, Rodeo Princess competition, cowgirl luncheon, and a rodeo parade.

It also hosts the Lil’ Pardners Rodeo for kids with disabilities. At this rodeo, kids participate in modified rodeo events with cowboy and cowgirl partners. The rodeo provides lunch and hosts participants as guests at a Livermore Rodeo performance.

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo

The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo is part of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo (BPIR) Legacy Series. You can see performances from this series in Los Angeles and Oakland.

This rodeo series honors Bill Pickett’s legacy. He was a famous early black rodeo performer and the first black cowboy movie star. He invented bull dogging, which is also called steer wrestling. The BPIR Legacy Series also celebrates modern black cowboys and cowgirls as they compete in bull riding, bull dogging, calf roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing, and steer undecorating.

The Bill Pickett Rodeo also organizes the Texas Connection Series.

California Rodeo Associations

California has several rodeo associations that support the sport throughout the state, including the California SixPac Rodeo Association, California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association (CCPRA), Northern California Junior Rodeo Association (NCJRA), California High School Rodeo Association (CHSRA), California Junior Cowboys Association (CJCA), and more.

The California SixPac Rodeo Association promotes seven PRCA rodeos: Oakdale, Red Bluff, Clovis, Hayward, Redding, Livermore, and Reno, Nevada. It offers a cash prize and belt buckle to the cowboy with the most points from competing in all seven rodeos.

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