A legacy of skill, courage and celebration — from small towns to nationally recognized rodeos
By Leigh Ann Matthews
From the famed 101 Wild West Rodeo, inspired by the historic Miller Brothers 101 Ranch near Ponca City, to the Pawhuska Cavalcade, rodeo remains strong in Oklahoma, offering competition and Western entertainment. Rodeos bring celebration and revenue to cities and rural communities, often serving as a community’s biggest annual event.
Rodeo originated from the 16th-century Spanish ranching tradition. Its name comes from the Spanish word “rodear,” meaning “to encircle.” Early Mexican cowhands, or vaqueros, developed livestock-handling skills that laid the foundation for modern rodeo. In the late 1800s, U.S. ranching expanded, and informal competitions evolved into organized contests in Texas and Arizona, often alongside Wild West shows such as Buffalo Bill Cody’s in the 1880s.
Recognized events in today’s rodeo organizations include bareback and saddle bronc riding, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, barrel racing and breakaway roping. Ranch rodeos feature teams from working ranches competing in skills used to manage cattle, such as trailer loading, sorting, branding and doctoring. The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association hosts its annual Ranch Rodeo (formerly Range Round-Up) each August, with teams vying to qualify for the Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Championship Ranch Rodeo each November in Amarillo, Texas.
The Rodeo Association of America, founded in 1929 as the first national professional rodeo association, brought structure, rules and prize money to the sport. Its efforts paved the way for the Cowboys Turtle Association in 1936, which reorganized as the Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1945. The RCA became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1975 and is currently the largest rodeo organization in the world.
The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association was founded in 1948 by ranch women determined to challenge the maledominated sport. Barrel racing and breakaway roping have since been added to PRCA circuits and the National Finals Rodeo but remain under WPRA management. The association also sanctions its own rodeos and events, many of which include roping, timed competitions and sometimes rough stock events.
The roots of the 101 Wild West Rodeo trace back to the early 1900s, when the Miller Brothers staged gala exhibitions at their 101 Ranch in Bliss, Oklahoma, which evolved into a touring Wild West show. The show was highly successful and continued into the late 1920s and early 1930s before ending as the Great Depression and changing entertainment tastes made it unsustainable. In 1959, a rodeo associated with the Cherokee Strip Celebration began in Ponca City, building on the Miller Brothers’ legacy. This event eventually became the modern 101 Wild West Rodeo and was sanctioned by the Rodeo Cowboys Association, the organization that later became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
Recognized as Oklahoma’s “oldest sanctioned rodeo,” the Hinton Rodeo has been sponsored by the Kiwanis Club since its founding in 1931. Meanwhile, Freedom, Oklahoma, hosts the Freedom Old Cowhand Reunion, dating back to the early 1930s.
The International Round-Up Club’s Pawhuska Cavalcade, billed as the “world’s largest amateur rodeo,” is held annually and draws members of Round-Up and Saddle Clubs from Oklahoma and neighboring states. According to the Cavalcade’s website, the four-day event was inaugurated in 1947 and was the vision of pioneering lady bronc rider Alice Adams. In addition to traditional rodeo competitions, the Cavalcade includes events inspired by ranch rodeos.
Established in 1933, the Guymon Pioneer Days PRCA Rodeo is the only PRCA rodeo in Oklahoma inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. It is one of the largest outdoor rodeos in the PRCA circuit and consistently ranks among the top 30 for payout, attracting cowboys and cowgirls from across the country. The Oklahoma Prison Rodeo was held “behind the walls” at the McAlester state penitentiary for 60 years before being canceled due to funding and deteriorating facilities. Supporters are exploring plans to revive the rodeo, potentially continuing events for inmates and outside contestants.
The Lawton Rangers PRCA Rodeo, celebrating its 88th year, is one of Oklahoma’s largest. Presented by the Lawton Rangers, a club founded in 1938 that hosted its first rodeo the same year, it draws top competitors. Described as the “toughest of them all,” the Woodward Elks PRCA Rodeo features top contenders and the Slash-O-Ranch herd of longhorns driven through town to kick off rodeo week. The ‘89er Days Rodeo celebrates the 1889 Land Run, featuring five days of activities and the state’s largest parade.
The Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo in Claremore celebrates its 81st year in 2026 and remains one of the largest in the area. Politician and PRCA Hall of Fame announcer Clem McSpadden called the rodeo for its first 62 years before his death in 2008. The Old Fort Days PRCA Rodeo, just across the Oklahoma border in Fort Smith, Arkansas, dates back to 1933 and was originally billed as the Pawnee Bill Rodeo. Early years featured Pawnee Bill and cowgirl bronc riding competitions, and it continues to boast the largest grand entry, with hundreds of horses parading through the arena.
Some of Oklahoma’s historic rodeos are sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the American Cowboys Rodeo Association (ACRA), or the Cowboys Regional Rodeo Association (CRRA), with many carrying multiple sanctions so contestants can earn points or prize money toward finals. The International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, also sanctions numerous rodeos and holds its year-end finals in Guthrie, drawing competitors from across the United States and Canada.
Like many larger rodeos, smaller events are often held alongside community celebrations, including the Checotah Old Settlers Day Rodeo, the Stilwell Strawberry Festival Rodeo, the Eufaula Whole Hog Days Rodeo, the Jim Shoulders Living Legends Rodeo and others. The Muscogee Creek Nation All Indian Rodeo in Okmulgee, part of the Muscogee Nation Festival, features top Native American athletes in Indian National Finals Rodeo Association (INFR)–sanctioned competitions.
The Boley Rodeo in Boley, dating to 1903, is the oldest continuous African American rodeo in the United States, inspiring the Roy LeBlanc Invitational Rodeo in Okmulgee and other African American rodeos.
Junior rodeo associations in Oklahoma help contestants up to age 18 develop their skills, while many high schools support rodeo teams and competitions. Rodeos offer entertaining experiences for the whole family, from clowns and parades to bucking horses, bulls, roping, and horsemanship, drawing thousands each year and celebrating Oklahoma’s Western heritage.
Side Story:
Boley Rodeo: A Living Celebration of Black Cowboy Heritage
Nestled in eastern Oklahoma, the historic town of Boley has long stood as a symbol of Black resilience and self-determination. Founded in 1903 as one of the nation’s most successful all-Black towns, Boley quickly became a hub of culture, commerce and community. Among its enduring traditions is the Boley Rodeo, the oldest African American community-based rodeo in the United States, which has been running for over a century.
The rodeo began as friendly competitions among Boley residents — skilled horsemen and ranchers who showcased their abilities in riding, roping and teamwork. By 1961, these events were formalized into the Boley Championship Rodeo, now held each Memorial Day weekend, featuring bull riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling and roping contests. It is both a sporting event and a celebration of the town’s rich heritage.
For Boley and its extended community, the rodeo carries profound meaning. Karen Ekuban, a Boley alumna and founder of Project 2020, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing Boley and other historic Black towns in Oklahoma, explains, “The Rodeo is more than ‘a rodeo.’ It’s a living testament to the legacy of Black cowboys and cowgirls who helped shape the American West. … It’s a living celebration of community, culture and history.”
This year, Boley’s legacy will reach a wider audience through Boley Rodeo Day at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on May 22, the day before the Memorial Day weekend rodeo. The museum event will feature roping demonstrations by world champions, live painting, art and photo exhibitions, and a cowboy concert by Grammy Award-winner Tony Williams. Visitors can explore a life-size recreated Boley historic district in the museum’s Prosperity Junction, experiencing firsthand the town’s story and the traditions that shaped the rodeo.
The rodeo itself, held on May 23, continues to draw competitors and spectators from across the country. What began as local contests has evolved into a beloved annual gathering, preserving Black cowboy culture and honoring generations of riders.
