STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – On Friday and Saturday nights in July and August, the roar of the crowd, the glow of arena lights and the aroma of barbecue attract competitors and spectators to Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs. At Brent Romick Rodeo Arena, cowboys and cowgirls compete in a long-held Western tradition: the rodeo. The arena is right across the Yampa River from downtown Steamboat Springs, at Fifth Street and Howelsen Parkway in the Howelsen Hill Sports Complex. 

The history of the rodeo in Steamboat Springs goes back well over a century, as this was a cow town long before locals strapped on skis and took to the slopes. Ranching was – and for many in the Yampa Valley, still is – a way of life, and the skills needed for ranch work form the basis of rodeo competitions. Before the weekly rodeo began in the ‘70s, Routt County locals would hold rodeo events wherever space would allow – sometimes even on downtown Lincoln Avenue. Today, the Steamboat Rodeo keeps this long-held tradition alive. 

Rodeo events at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series include bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing. With rodeo clowns hamming it up and calf and ram scrambles between events, there’s plenty to keep spectators of all ages entertained for the full two hours. 

Parking is available at the rodeo grounds, but to avoid traffic before and after the rodeo, it’s common to park downtown and walk to the arena. Bring a jacket and/or blanket as temps cool off quickly at the beginning and end of summer. 

If an authentic Western experience is on your Steamboat bucket list, the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series is not to be missed. 

For more information, go to www.SteamboatProRodeo.com or call (970) 879-1818.