Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo

The girls have been dying to go to a rodeo event, ever since they met the Girls of the West recently.
We missed the Night Rodeo at Cody, Wyoming because we wanted to leave earlier the next day for our drive to Yellowstone. And so I bought tickets to the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, held right here in Colorado Springs.

"The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo has been a Colorado Springs tradition since 1937, showcasing the pinnacle of rodeo talent and action, while providing wholesome entertainment for the Pikes Peak community. Spencer Penrose, an avid sportsman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, founded the Rodeo and in 1938, presented the “House that Spec built” – the 10,000 seat Will Rogers Stadium across from the Broadmoor Hotel. The name was changed to the Spencer Penrose Stadium after his death in 1939, and the Rodeo continued in that location, under the guidance of community leaders committed to Penrose’s legacy

The legacy of the Rodeo in the Pikes Peak region was further recognized three decades ago when the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association located their National Headquarters and Hall of Fame to Colorado Springs
Since 1946, the proceeds of the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo have been donated to military charities in the Pikes Peak Region. Colorado Springs is home to the United States Air Force Academy, U.S. NORAD/NORTHCOM (home to the American and Canadian joint forces), Air Force Space Command, Shriever Air Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base, and Fort Carson"

We all had a blast! It was so fun to be with a crowd that was so into tight jeans, big belt buckles, cowboy hats and boots, horse-riding, etc. Pure western fun.

There were several events that night, including
- Bareback bronc riding, where the rider rides bareback and has to hang on with one hand for 8 seconds 
- Steer wrestling, where the competitor rides after a running steer, jumps off the horse and wrestles the animal to the ground
- Tie-down roping, where competitors had to rope and immobilize a calf in the quickest time possible
- Saddle bronc riding
- Team roping, where one cowboy has to rope the steer's horns and the other the steer's hind legs
- Barrel racing, where a female rider has to ride as quickly as possible around a cloverleaf course of 3 barrels
- And lastly Kathryn's favorite - Bull riding!

Kathryn trying out wrangling :)
There were lots of booths, but because we arrived late and parked pretty far, we didn't get a chance to see more of the vendors and what they had to offer. There were also other family events which we didn't get to see

The girls at our seats at the South Wing of the Norris-Penrose Event Center. I bought the tickets on the day before, so they were not the greatest seats (but not too bad either).

The Majorettes. The girls loved watching these ladies and of course the Girls Of the West on their horses.
The Girl of the West and her aide are young women who represent the West through their horsemanship ability. They symbolize the youth of our region who wish to further promote the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, and in so doing, promote the western way of life and the ideal western-type American girl.

The Steer Wrestling event