35th Overland Stage Stampede Rodeo brings new thrills

A few new events aim to please rodeo fans at the upcoming Overland Stage Stampede Rodeo, including a wild horse race that proved to be popular years ago.

Rodeo weekend is fast approaching and will take place June 2-3 at Green River's rodeo grounds. 

Kelly Harmon, the vice president of the rodeo and sponsorship coordinator, said the group plans to include an adult calf scramble that will take place similar to the long-running kids' event. The difference for the adult event involves the use of roping steers as opposed to calves. Rodeo fans will be invited to chase after the steer in the arena and grab a tag on its tail. A belt buckle will be awarded to whomever grabs the tag first, with a consolation prize available to the second person.

"We thought we would up the ante a little bit and get the adults out there too," Harmon said.

The wild horse riding event is scheduled to take place after the bull riders finish their competition. This event will pit six teams of three cowboys at the arena's chutes with what Harmon described as the most "orneriest and mean-spirited horses" available to them, with the challenge to get a horse saddled and ridden across a goal at the opposite end of the area. He said the rodeo committee tried the event a few years ago and found it was popular with fans, which prompted organizers to schedule it again.

For Harmon and the other members of the committee, the goal of providing a fun show anyone can watch continues to drive their work year after year. Harmon said this year's rodeo will be his 14th as a volunteer. Despite the hours of work that go into producing the event, he feels rewarded when the show takes place. Most of all, he enjoys seeing young rodeo performers come up through the rodeo over the years and watching them grow as competitors, watching their hard work and determination pay off. 

He said one of the biggest challenges the committee has faced was deciding if the ticket prices should rise or not. The committee opted not to raise them. He said the committee is made up from people who were former competitors who want to give back to the rodeo community and Green River.

"We're just trying to put on a family-friendly show and keep the prices low," Harmon said.

Pre-event tickets are available at the Green River and Rock Springs Chambers of Commerce, online at Rodeoticket.com and at the gate both nights.