by Hannah

Every summer my family makes time to watch the rodeo together. We also are down at the grounds for the gymkhana, a mini competition for younger kids and their horses where they compete in the main events. It gives them a feeling of actually being in the rodeo. Since Steamboat originated hugely in ranching and the rodeo, this connection to the rodeo makes me feel like I am part of Routt County's history. It's really neat to be able to say that I participate in some of Routt County's original beginnings. There are a ton of families that help run the rodeo, so almost half of my friends are ranching families. With that large number of people directly connected, it's hard to not have anything to do with the rodeo; you can't escape it.