The Annual Greeley Stampede

Mama’s, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys!!!!!

The Greeley Stampede is my third rodeo EVER! The first was in Birmingham when I was 16 years old, held inside the Coliseum, the second was in Fort Smith, Arkansas and the third was in Greeley, Colorado! This year was was the 100th year celebration and I have to say that (so far) it was the best! There were world champions in almost every event we saw and it was awesome!

100 Years of History!!!!

The Stampede started in the late 1800s as a celebration to honor the local potato farmers. By 1920, it was the largest festival in the world! It was christened the Greeley Spud Rodeo in 1922 and added bronc riding, roping, horse racing, bicycle and motorcycle racing, along with other fair activities. To gain national recognition, the name was changed to the “Go West with Greeley” Rodeo and finally, in 1972 after a community contest, became know as the Greeley Independence Stampede. The rodeo lasts 10 days around the 4th of July hosting bareback and saddle bronc riding, bull riding, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, tie down roping, barrel racing and my favorite the kids’ sheep riding!

I don’t trust those freakin’ rides!!!!! (yeah, not a big fan either…)

The hubs and I went by and picked up Dare (who lives in Greeley) and headed to the Stampede. There is a full fair atmosphere with carnival rides and games, all kinds of fried foods, animals and of course, the Rodeo arena. After walking through the ride area, we visited the festival booths, cowboy hats, boots, belt buckles, t-shirts, and knick-knacks galore until we reached the food – ahhhhhh, fair food! The hubs headed straight for the Bacon Booth – everything wrapped in bacon…we had fries with bacon and cheese and chicken wrapped in bacon and fried before heading into the arena. (Ed. Note – Ckicken wrapped in bacon and fried – it don’t get much better than that!!)

I’ve actually window shopped on Rodeo Drive!!!!!

The bareback bronc riding started the rodeo and let me tell you, I would hate to be a mother watching one of her boys flopping around like rag dolls on those horses! I don’t know how all their bones aren’t broken during one of those rides😢 but it was quite exciting.

One of the coolest things I saw was how the other riders help the bucking bronc rider off his horse – if he hasn’t fallen off that is! One rider gets on either side, the bronc rider grabs onto one of their waists, the rider grabs onto the bronc rider and places him on the ground – so cool!!