Colorado's Oldest Rodeo

107th Annual Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo Celebrates True West in Gunnison, Colorado

World record attempt on July 14 – “Largest Awareness Ribbon” for breast cancer



People who love the aura and authenticity of The West, will find plenty of reasons to spend summer in Gunnison, Colorado. The highlight will be the 107th Annual Cattlemen’s Days, the granddaddy of Colorado rodeos, on July 6 – 15, 2007.



“Cattlemen’s Day is a 10-day festival that is all about celebrating Gunnison’s ranching heritage and Western spirit,” says Cattlemen’s Days President Dan Woodbury.



Tough Enough to Wear Pink & World Record Attempt

In 2006, Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” set a national record by raising $90,000 that is being used locally to support breast cancer awareness, examinations, diagnosis, prevention and local hospital technology digital mammography upgrade.



The 2007 Cattlemen’s Days will feature the second annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink Rodeo Night on July 12 at 7 p.m., with an attempt to get into the “Guinness World Records™” on July 14 for this important cause. On Tough Enough to Wear Pink Rodeo Night, the crowd and cowboys are encouraged to get into the spirit and wear pink, with a portion of rodeo ticket sales for the night going to the cause.

The goal for 2007 is $100,000. To help accomplish this, Gunnison Valley Hospital invites any interested individual to hike, run or bike the first-ever W Mountain Ribbon of Life Climb and take part in an effort to set a world record for the largest awareness ribbon on July 14. Entrants will meet at 7 a.m., ascend the 2.8-mile course up W Mountain, and help unveil a 100-yard pink ribbon at 8:15 a.m. The Cattlemen’s Days Parade will follow in downtown Gunnison at 10 a.m. For more information about the Ribbon of Life Climb, contact Susan McMann at (970) 641-1414.

2007 Cattlemen’s Days Highlights

The longtime highlights of this 10 day event include top-notch PRCA rodeos, a parade, an open horse show, horse racing, cowboy poetry reading, Gunnison County Fair and much more.

As always, the marquee events for Cattlemen’s Days are the rodeos with their thrills, spills and good-natured fun. The rodeos will be held on the evenings of July 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. and the afternoon of July 14 at 2 p.m. At the July 14 rodeo, the crowd will be treated to horse racing mixed in with rodeo events. Live music and dancing is available in the evenings after the rodeos.



New for this year’s Cattlemen’s Day rodeos is Troy “THE WILD CHILD” Lerwill, who was named the 2006 PRCA Specialty Act of the Year for his high-flying motorcycle act and skill as a rodeo clown and barrel man.



Not only are talented competitors key to a top rodeo, there must be experienced producer and stock contractor behind the scenes. The services of Stace Smith (2004, 2005 and 2006 PRCA Stock Contractor of the Year) have once again been secured. Not only will Smith be producing the rodeo, he will be providing WNFR-quality bucking stock for the rough stock events for the first time ever.



“This should entice some of the best cowboys in the business to come and compete on these animals,” says Woodbury. “To further the cause, our committee has increased the event-added money to $3,000 in each of the seven rodeo events. Also, the Wet Grocer, the perennial Bull Riding sponsor, has stepped up and insured funding that will pay $6,000 added in that event as an invitation to the best bull riders to come test their skills on some of Stace’s best bulls.”



The 13th annual Cattlemen’s Days Cowboy Poetry Night on July 10 will feature headliner John Nelson along with local favorites Shorty George, Mac McGraw and Joe Dixon alongside emcee Mark Todd. The reading also will showcase the talents of young guns Brent Winston and Dooley Dignan and first-time buckaroo readings by grade-schoolers and middle school poets thanks to a partnership with the local 4-H chapter. The free event will take place at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose building located at the rodeo grounds and is made possible by Cattlemen’s Days and Gunnison Friends of the Library.



Cattlemen’s Days History

For more than a century, the Gunnison Valley has celebrated its western way of life with annual demonstrations of roping, racing and riding skills. Cattlemen’s Days has grown from an annual get-together of local cowboys and cowgirls to a PRCA event that attracts the world’s top cowboys, the best livestock from across the country, and much more.



Since the early days, the rodeo is scheduled between spring calving and summer haying. It made a debut on a makeshift Main Street arena and now takes place at a modern rodeo complex, the Fred R. Field Western Heritage Center, located one block south of Highway 50 in Gunnison.



“The ranching community has an opportunity to come into town and celebrate with the rodeos, fair and stock shows. It also gives the non-agricultural community a chance to support and rub shoulders with the ranching community. At the 4-H livestock sale, regional businesses and individuals support the local kids by purchasing their animals,” Woodbury says.



“Rodeo events represent many of the skills used on a working ranch,” he adds. “Horses sometimes buck, heifers and calves often need to be roped and tied to be doctored, and barrel racing shows horsemanship at high rates of speed.”



Cattlemen’s Days Brochure & Tickets

For a brochure containing the complete schedule of Cattlemen’s Days events or for more information, contact the Gunnison County Chamber of Commerce at (800) 274-7580. Also, visit www.cattlemensdays.com. Tickets go on sale on Friday, July 6, at the Cattlemen’s Days ticket booth located at Gunnison Bank. Tickets also can be purchased at the door and cost $12 for general admission and $15 for reserved grandstand seating. Tickets for the July 15 race meet cost $5.