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 most important stops on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit. The word "rodeo" is pronounced "ro-DAY-o" in the Spanish way. This amazing 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. The California Rodeo Salinas was even added to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2008, showing how special it is!

California Rodeo Salinas Hall of Fame

The California Rodeo Salinas has its own Hall of Fame. This special place honors the people and animals who have made the rodeo great over the years.

History of the California Rodeo

How Rodeos Began

The idea of rodeos started a long time ago with Spanish Rancheros. These were ranchers who owned large areas of land and many cattle. Their cattle were often semi-wild and roamed freely. Different owners had their own special marks, called "brands," to tell their animals apart.

Twice a year, in the spring and fall, ranchers would gather their cattle. These gatherings were called "rodears," which is the Spanish word for "round-ups." They would bring all the animals to a central spot, usually a valley. In the spring, they would brand new calves, mark their ears, and perform other tasks. In the fall, they would prepare animals for food. These round-ups were also big social events. They could last for more than a week! People would have barbecues, dances called "fandango," and friendly competitions. These competitions included roping cattle and riding wild horses, known as broncos.

Early Days: 1872–1935

From Race Track to Rodeo Arena

Before the California Rodeo, there was a place called Sausal Park Race Track. In 1872, a race track, a grandstand (where people sit to watch), a bar, and a restaurant were built in Salinas. The land was given to the city by Eugene Sherwood and Richard Hellman. They had one rule: a fair and race had to be held at least every two years. If not, the land would go back to them. The first race happened in 1875. The park was later renamed Sherwood Park. By 1909, fewer people were coming to the races. The city worried about losing the land because of the rule.

A group of cattlemen, who called themselves the "Salinas Coyotes," found a solution. One of them, Iver "Red" Cornett, thought that having bucking horses between the races would make the event more exciting. The first show with bucking horses was in 1910 at a baseball park. It was a big hit! So, the next year, it moved to the larger racetrack at Sherwood Park.

The First California Rodeo

On August 1, 1911, the first rodeo was held at the racetrack grounds. 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 the rodeo, including H.E. Abbott, James E. Breen, Sam Matthews, and others.

The 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 large band and about 100 horses ridden by local ranchers. There was also a less formal parade on the last 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 from other towns and politicians also came to watch. A highlight was the performance by Jesse Stahl, a famous black cowboy. He rode broncos both facing forward and backward! Jesse Stahl retired in 1929 and was one of the most well-known black cowboys ever. About 4,000 people attended the 1912 show.

By 1913, the horse races were no longer the main focus. The rodeo leaders worked to make the show a permanent event. Frank Griffin became the President and Rodeo Boss, a role he held until 1934. The rodeo 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 stopped in 1985 but was known as the largest night parade west of the Mississippi River. In 1930, a special parade just for children, called the Kiddie Kapers Parade, began and still happens today. The Colmo del Rodeo returned in 2010, happening before the Kiddie Kapers Parade.

In 1914, the show officially became "California Rodeo, Inc." The rodeo continued even during World War I in 1917 and 1918. In 1923, the rodeo paid the City of Salinas $40,000 to fully own the land from the Sherwood family. The ownership was cleared in 1924. The rodeo was then reincorporated as "California Rodeo, Inc." A special bond was passed to raise $40,000. This money was used to build an 8,000-seat grandstand, a half-mile racetrack, barns, fences, and bucking chutes. The rodeo paid off this bond by 1944 using its own earnings.

The first "Queen of the Rodeo" contest was held in 1926, won by Miss Bernice Donahue. By 1929, it became the "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" contest. Miss Lilian Kirschner won that year. Also around this time, Abe Lefcowitz, a former rodeo clown, became the official announcer. Known as Abe Lefton, he announced 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 Cowboy Turtle Association in 1936, and then the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Since 1994, all competitors must be registered with the PRCA.

Modern Era: 1935 to Present

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 facilities between 1924 and 1942, including bigger grandstands, new barns, corrals, and fences.

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 as part of the Japanese American internment. From July 1942 to 1945, the US Army VII Corps (United States) used the grounds as the Salinas Garrison.

In 1947, the rodeo bought 30 acres of land and gave it to the City. In 1972, they bought another 14.5 acres and also gave it to the city. The City and the Rodeo then signed a 15-year lease. In 1996, the old grandstands were taken down and replaced with new ones after the July rodeo. This new facility cost $8.5 million and can be used for many different sports.

In 1971, team ropers Jim Olds and Bill Armour made history. They were the first "High Money Winners" of the California Rodeo Salinas to win the most prize money in just one event. Before this, the "High Money Winner" was always the "All Around Champion," who won money in two or more events. Olds and Armour won first place in one round, second in another, and first overall in their event. This led to a big discussion about who should get the San Francisco Chronicle Award. After much debate, the award went to the All-Around Champion, Jim Rodriguez Jr. After this, the rules were changed so the award would always go to the All-Around Champion.

In 1979, the California Rodeo Historical Committee was formed. They received a real Wells Fargo stagecoach and a building. Barbara Breen and Marge Behen were the first leaders of the museum that was set up. The museum is open to the public during the rodeo or by appointment.

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

The 2020 California Rodeo Salinas was first moved to October because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after several months, the event was completely canceled.

In 2021, the PRCA's ProRodeo Tour Finale moved to the California Rodeo Salinas. It had previously been held at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington.

The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) used to host an event during the California Rodeo Salinas for several years. However, since 2022, the all-bull riding event at the rodeo is now a PRCA Xtreme Bulls tour stop. Also in 2022, the PRCA's ProRodeo Tour was renamed the Playoff Series. The California Rodeo Salinas returned to its usual July schedule and is a regular stop on this tour. The tour's finale returned to Puyallup, Washington in September 2022. However, as of 2023, the Playoff Series finale now takes place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Other events have also been held at the rodeo grounds. These include monster truck shows. A famous publicity stunt happened on May 31, 1992, at a monster truck show. A rule was added that the slowest qualifying truck would be dropped from a crane. Mike Welch, a famous monster truck driver, built a truck called Muscle Beach specifically for this drop. He purposely finished last. The truck was lifted 100 feet by a crane and then dropped, falling apart as part of the show!