California Rodeo Salinas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids California Rodeo Salinas
Genre	Rodeo
Frequency	annually
Location(s)	1034 North Main Street, Salinas, California
Website	Official website: https://www.carodeo.com/

The California Rodeo Salinas is a huge and exciting rodeo event held every year in Salinas, California. It's one of the biggest stops for professional cowboys and cowgirls on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit. People say "rodeo" the Spanish way: "roDAYo." This famous event started way back in 1911 as a "Wild West Show." It takes place at the Salinas Sports Complex, which used to be an old race track. Because it's so important in the rodeo world, the Salinas rodeo was added to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2008.

California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame

The Story of the Rodeo

How Rodeos Began

The idea for rodeos comes from the old days of Spanish ranchos in California. Ranchers had many cattle that roamed freely. Each owner used a special brand to show which animals were theirs. Twice a year, in spring and fall, they would have "round-ups," or "rodears" in Spanish. This meant gathering all the cattle they could find and bringing them to one spot.

In spring, the main goal was to brand new calves and mark their ears. In fall, they would prepare animals for their hides and fat (tallow). These round-ups were also big social events! They could last for more than a week and included fun things like barbecues, dances, and friendly contests in roping and riding wild horses.

Early Days: 1872 to 1935

Sausal Park Race Track and the Start of the Rodeo

Before the California Rodeo, there was a place called Sausal Park Race Track in Salinas. In 1872, a racetrack, a grandstand (where people sit), a bar, and a restaurant were built there. The land was given to the city with one rule: a fair and race had to happen at least every two years. If not, the land would go back to its original owners.

By 1909, fewer people were coming to the races. The city needed a new idea to keep the land. A group of cattlemen, who called themselves the "Salinas Coyotes," had a solution. One of them, Iver "Red" Cornett, thought that having bucking horses perform between races would make people more interested.

The first show with bucking horses happened in 1910 at a baseball park. It was a big hit! So, the next year, it moved to the racetrack at Sherwood Park.

The First Rodeo in 1911

On August 1, 1911, the first official rodeo was held at the racetrack. It was advertised as a "Wild West Show." Iver "Red" Cornett wanted to call it "Big Week" because it lasted for a whole week. But Frank Griffin wanted to call it "The California Rodeo." Both names are still used today! Many people helped start this event, including H.E. Abbott, James E. Breen, and Sam Matthews.

The very first horse parade down Main Street also happened in 1911. James R. Hebbron led this parade every year until 1926, when he was 97 years old! The parade had a band and about 100 horses ridden by local ranchers. There was also a less formal parade on the closing night, with decorated cars instead of horses.

Growing Bigger and Better

The rodeo in 1912 was even more successful! This was the first time cowgirls were part of the show. Important people and politicians from other towns also came to watch. A highlight was the performance by Jesse Stahl, a famous black cowboy. He rode broncs (wild horses) facing both forward and backward! Jesse Stahl retired in 1929 and is known as one of the most famous black cowboys ever. About 4,000 people attended the 1912 show.

By 1913, the trotting races were mostly gone, and the show's leaders focused on making the rodeo a permanent event. Frank Griffin became the President and Rodeo Boss, a job he held until 1934. The show grew to include over 20 events. The evening parade became a formal event called "El Colmado del Rodeo," or sometimes "Colmo del Rodeo." It was known as the largest night parade west of the Mississippi River before it stopped in 1985. However, it came back in 2010!

In 1930, a special parade just for children, called the Kiddie Kapers Parade, was started. It's still a fun tradition today and happens before the "Colmo del Rodeo."

In 1914, the show officially became a company called "California Rodeo." Even during World War I in 1917 and 1918, the rodeo continued. In 1923, the rodeo paid the City of Salinas to fully own the land. Once the ownership was clear in 1924, the rodeo became "California Rodeo, Inc." Money was raised to build a new grandstand with 8,000 seats, a half-mile racetrack, barns, fences, and chutes for the bucking animals. The rodeo paid off this debt by 1944.

The first "Queen of the Rodeo" contest was held in 1926. By 1929, it was called the "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" contest. Around this time, Abe Lefcowitz, a former rodeo clown, became the official announcer. Known as Abe Lefton, he announced the rodeo from 1928 to 1950. Fans loved his funny comments about important people, politics, and the sport.

By 1929, more professional cowboys from out of town were competing. But local support was still strong! The parade, mostly made up of locals, was over a mile long. Also in 1929, the Rodeo Cowboys Association was formed. This group later became the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association), which still sets the rules for professional rodeo today. Since 1994, all competitors at the California Rodeo must be registered with the PRCA.

Modern Times: 1935 to Today

In 1935, the grandstands were made even bigger to hold 14,000 people. In 1939, Brahman Bulls were used for the first time in the bull riding contest. These bulls are known for being less predictable, which made the competition even more exciting! Many improvements were made to the rodeo grounds between 1924 and 1942, like bigger grandstands, new barns, and corrals.

During World War II, from April to July 1942, about 3,600 Japanese Americans were held at the rodeo grounds. This was called the Salinas Assembly Center. After that, from July 1942 to 1945, the US Army used the grounds.

In 1947 and 1972, the rodeo bought more land and gave it to the City of Salinas. The City and the Rodeo then signed agreements for the rodeo to use the land. In 1996, after the July rodeo, the old grandstands were taken down and replaced with new ones. This became an $8.5 million sports facility that can be used for many different events.

In 1971, two team ropers, Jim Olds and Bill Armour, set a record by winning the most prize money in a single event. Before this, the "High Money Winner" award always went to the All-Around Champion (someone who won money in two or more events). After some discussion, the rodeo committee decided the award would still go to the All-Around Champion, Jim Rodriguez Jr. The rules were then changed to make this clear.

In 1979, the California Rodeo Historical Committee was created. They received a real Wells Fargo stagecoach and a building. This became a museum that is open to the public during the rodeo or by appointment.

Today, the California Rodeo Salinas is the largest and most popular rodeo in California. It's one of the top PRCA rodeos shown on The Cowboy Channel and streamed live online.

The 2020 rodeo was first moved to October because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but then it was canceled completely.

In 2021, the PRCA's ProRodeo Tour Finale moved to the California Rodeo Salinas. In 2022, the tour was renamed the Playoff Series. The California Rodeo Salinas went back to its usual July dates and is a regular stop on this tour. The tour's finale moved back to Puyallup, Washington, in September. However, since 2023, the Playoff Series finale now happens in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Other events also happen at the Salinas Sports Complex, like monster truck shows. A famous publicity stunt happened on May 31, 1992, at a monster truck show. The slowest truck would be dropped from a crane! A driver named Mike Welch built a truck called Muscle Beach just for this. He purposely finished last, and his truck was lifted 100 feet by a crane and then dropped, falling apart as part of the show.

Images for kids

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