Long before tourism was the primary industry in Moab, it was a true “wild west” town, relying on cattle trade as the basis of the local economy. From the town’s founding at the start of the 20th century, cattle companies, drivers, and stockmen brought money to the region, and soon, their daily skills became a spectacle in themselves.
Rodeo has its roots in the chores of ranching in the U.S. According to the Moab Museum, the popularization of stockman’s competitions spread to the Moab Valley in the 1920s, with the first official “stockman’s celebration” held in 1922. The spectacle of rodeo was spreading nationwide, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association was created in 1936 to formalize the sport.
Today, it’s far more common to see a gaggle of Jeeps than a herd of horses on the streets of Moab, but rodeo remains a vestige of a different time. Local rodeos are preserving Moab area history and introducing new generations to the sport.
The Canyonlands PRCA Rodeo started in 1948 and has run every year since, except for 2020 and 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic.
The three-day event runs from Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2 and will welcome cowboys and cowgirls from states all over the West to compete in events such as steer wrestling, bareback riding, calf roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. The events, many of which are rooted in authentic ranch skills for working cowboys, require competitors to showcase their strength, speed, riding, and roping abilities.
Canyonlands PRCA Rodeo is a truly local event, with Moab-area businesses leading the sponsorship funding and a planning committee made up of 100% local residents. Hi Performance Ford of Moab is the platinum sponsor this year, with additional sponsorship provided by several other local businesses.
For President Krista Wilson, rodeo has been a part of her life since her days of selling raffle tickets to help out her parents, who were members of the rodeo club. Since returning to Moab in her adulthood, she’s been involved with planning since 2018 and leading the charge since 2022.
“It’s Moab history,” says Wilson. “We were a cow town from the very beginning.”
Wilson is acutely aware of the importance of rodeo in Moab, starting with Swanny Kerby, the founder of Bar T Rodeo and an early member of the PRCA.
Kerby produced several rodeos and contracted stock for rodeos throughout the Rocky Mountain region and the Pacific Northwest, and he was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1997. Kerby is also the namesake of Moab’s Swanny City Park.
The Canyonlands PRCA Rodeo will welcome back Legacy Pro Rodeo as the stock contractor. Legacy Pro Rodeo purchased Bar T, the original stock contractor, in 2023, and has worked hard to represent its deep-rooted history.
“The legacy that [Kerby] started and his family continued, and the legacy for rodeo continuing… it’s just pivotal to the sport itself to keep it alive and well,” says Wilson.
Jody Carper has been announcing the event for several years and will return, and Hippie Engelkes will act as barrel man and clown for the event. Pete and Barbra Peterson are Grand Marshals.
Each day of the rodeo offers unique fun. After the rodeo event on Saturday, Ronnie and the Redwoods will perform a free concert and a cash bar will be available. On Sunday, Summer and Company Trick Riding will hold a matinee performance, a great opportunity for families to see some incredible riding.
Moab Adventure Center will offer free shuttles to and from all three days of the event.
Kids can participate in two events: Mutton Bustin’ (riding or racing sheep) and the Stick Pony Race (riding stick ponies through an obstacle course). Those interested can sign up on-site at the event each day.
Canyonlands Rodeo also crowns a Rodeo Queen and attendants each year, chosen from local high school and middle school students. The students are evaluated on a variety of criteria including grades, attendance, social media etiquette, and horsemanship. They spend three to four months preparing and must perform a riding pattern and an original speech.
This year’s Rodeo Queen is Charley Carter, a Grand County High School 10th grader, with Delanie Davis (9th grade, Grand County High School) and Tesni Maughan (7th grade, Margaret L. Hopkins Middle School) serving as First and Second Attendants, respectively.
This year’s Rodeo Royalty all have memories of attending Canyonlands Rodeo and participating in Stick Pony racing, Mutton Bustin’, or riding on the drill team. They each remember looking up to Royalty from years past at the event, and all three express how much the Rodeo has meant for them as they prepare this year.
“Rodeo isn’t just a community, it’s a family. I’m just really excited – we’ve got kind of a sisterhood going on here, and it’s awesome to be those role models that we looked up to when we were little,” says Carter. “We’re evolving as leaders and becoming better versions of ourselves.”
“You build a family, you build friendships,” agrees Davis. ”You make so many new friendships, and you can be role models, and you’re also looking up to other people in the rodeo.”
The three young women will see their hard work pay off when the event kicks off. They will act as the faces of the rodeo, carrying flags in the grand entry — where it’s very likely that future generations of Rodeo Royalty will be watching them from the stands.
“I’m excited to be the person that I always wanted to be, to run and wave to people,” says Maughan. “I was looking up to all those people, and now I am one of them.”
The Royalty embodies the respect for history and preservation of tradition that is so key to celebrating rodeo and, more largely, the history of this town.
The Canyonlands PRCA Rodeo will take place from Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2 at the Old Spanish Trail Arena (3641 S Hwy 191). Tickets can be purchased online at moabcanyonlandsrodeo.com or at ticket outlets set up at City Market, Moab Information Center, Big Horn Lodge, and Canyonlands Copy Center. Friday and Saturday tickets are $19 for adults and $13 for kids when purchased in advance, or $20 and $14 respectively at the door. The Sunday matinee is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, veterans, law enforcement, and first responders, and $5 for kids.
