Pioneer Rodeo Rides Through Roy This Weekend

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The Roy Pioneer Rodeo has been a staple of the community for just shy of 60 years. 

Rodeo Vice President Jim Rotondo thinks organizers must be doing something right in order for it to have survived for so long while other rodeos in the region have been shutting down. 

“It’s a good show,” Rotondo said.

The rodeo, which was founded in 1960, will roll through Roy from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The venue is located at 8710 Higgins Greig Road. The event is hosted by the Roy Pioneer Rodeo Association. 

Rotondo said his father started the event and that his family has always been a part of the rodeo in some way. He has been working with the rodeo for close to 40 years. 

While he usually doesn’t have time to watch the shows because he is moving cattle behind the chutes, he does get to watch every once in a while. 

“I think people like to see the bulls,” he said. “Everybody’s got their own thing. Some people like to watch barrel racing and some people like the roping, but I think the bulls grab the most attention. They’re the biggest, meanest animals.”

Events include bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, cow milking and barrel racing. 

“Every once in a while we got some guys that race chariots around,” Rotondo said. “Sometimes we have a drill team that comes out and puts on a performance during the show.”



Rotondo said around 2,500 people show up throughout the day with another 100 people competing.

The rodeo will have a kitchen selling hot dogs and hamburgers. There will also be a beer garden for those over 21. 

The rodeo is operated almost entirely by volunteers, and Rotondo knows that the rodeo owes a lot to the dedication of these people.  

“We appreciated the volunteers that we have that do all the stuff that gets done,” he said. “If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t have a rodeo.”

The rodeo is non-profit, although there is an entry fee for spectators. 

This money goes to the winners of each event. The rodeo happens twice a year, the first weekend of June, and the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day Weekend. 

Children 5 and under can attend for free. The cost is $5 for children 6 to 12, $13 for attendees 13 to 60 and $7 for adults 60 and older. 

Learn more at royrodeo.com or by visiting the Pioneer Roy Rodeo’s Facebook page.