If you are in Wyoming to visit the National Parks or for any other reason, you must plan to make a stop at Cody, Wyoming! Appropriately named “The Rodeo Capital of the World”, you can attend a rodeo every night of the week, every year from June 1st through August 31st. This featured nightly event began in 1938 and has continued ever since.
- Location – 519 West Yellowstone Avenue, Cody, WY. The arena is located on the west side of Cody on Rt. 20 (along the road to Yellowstone National Park)
- Time – gates open at 7:00 pm, events begin at 8:00 pm
- Unlimited free parking and general admission seating
The Rodeo is General Admission (which means you can sit anywhere you would like) and the tickets are reasonably priced. The evening starts out with horse-mounted riders bearing flags and the National Anthem. And in this little town of Wyoming, there is a moment of prayer prior to the events.
The Cody Night Rodeo is an amateur rodeo event – meaning that the prize money isn’t large and there is no great recognition (other than locally) for the cowgirls and cowboys – but the excitement and fun of the rodeo is just as great as any national, professional event.
The event schedule usual starts out with bronc riding which features both older and younger cowboys. Both cowboys and cowgirls trying their hand at calf roping follows Barrel racing comes next with both older and younger cowgirls. And the biggest event of the night is the bull riding. All through the evening, the announcer and the arena clown banter back and forth with observations of the events and really ridiculous jokes.
At the Cody Night Rodeo, everyone gets a chance to participate in the fun – even if you are in the audience. Nearly every night, the kids can enjoy the calf scramble. They have a contest for all the kids in the stands who are under twelve. The kids all line up in the middle of the arena and then a few calves are let loose, each with a ribbon tied to its tail. The first kids to grab the ribbons from the calves’ tails and hand them to the arena clown get a prize.
Occasionally you will also see the famed “Mutton Bustin’” event. Young cowboys and cowgirls try their hand at riding a wooly sheep by just “climbin’ on and hangin’ on”! It is great fun to watch and the kids really enjoy their rides!
The Cody Night Rodeo is wonderful family entertainment. Grab the kids and head on out for the rodeo. It doesn’t even matter what the weather is like – because all seating is covered and every seat has a good view of the action.
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