Buck Wild
Stockton comes alive for one week in October, starting a legacy of hosting the toughest cowboys from around the world in a fierce, guts and glory competition
Perhaps it will begin with a trickle of friendly strangers wearing cowboy boots and hats spotted here and there a few days before the event. Then suddenly, the flood: a wave of over one thousand cowboy and cowgirl competitors and their countless western-appareled, adoring fans will appear in hotels and restaurants all over San Joaquin, September 26 through October 4, all in the area to participate in the first annual Stockton Rodeo. The eight-day event, described as the third largest of its kind in the nation, is expected to bolster tourism in San Joaquin, drawing an estimated 120,000 viewers to the Stockton Arena each year throughout its eight-year contract.
The Stockton Rodeo Association (SRA) is working in conjunction with professional rodeo associations to ensure that the Stockton Rodeo becomes an important stop in any professional cowboy’s tournament circuit. The Stockton Rodeo will pay out $500,000 in prize money, disbursed between eight separate events, including saddle bronc, steer wrestling, barrel racing, mounted shooting, team penning, calf roping, team roping, and bull riding (for more information about each event see page 58).
Bryan J. Bjork, the principle partner of Masterson’s Rodeo Productions, which owns the Stockton Rodeo Association, believes that Stockton is the perfect fit for the new event because of its location and easy accessibility from other states. “This is now providing a very viable show for cowboys and cowgirls to be able to travel to, especially with the price of diesel these days. It puts [the pressure] on some of our other contestants that have traditionally stayed out in the Midwest and Texas to come out here, and it gets the fans out here. What better place to have one of the largest professional rodeo venues but in the thirteenth largest city in California, that is being labeled the events city?” says Bjork.
 Dave Rainaldi, Director of the Stockton Rodeo, adds, “Oakdale, which is another big California rodeo, Red Bluffs just up the road, Redding, the Cow Palace—Stockton is smack dab in the middle of where we’re drawing a lot of West Coast talent from. Plus the history of Stockton being such a great stock town in its infancy—It just made sense to bring the stock back.”
Besides the competitive rodeo events, tickets into the arena for the event will also come with theme nights, and a nightly, well-known country music act. Outside of the arena, for the duration of the event, visitors are welcome to enjoy a carnival-like atmosphere, including food, rides, and live entertainment.
Stockton Sports Commission Director Don Miller is enthusiastic about the coming rodeo, saying, “I just think it’s going to draw such a different crowd that’s been coming to the arena for the other events. I think it’s a good, clean family event; there is something for everyone. It’s good, wholesome entertainment that’s reasonably priced.”
 Whether you are a seasoned rodeo aficionado, or a newbie to the cowboy/cowgirl scene, supporting your community has never been so much fun. The Stockton Rodeo is not only a chance to see beloved country music stars, eat delicious fair food, and sweat out the crucial eight seconds along with an arena full of fans holding a collective breath; it’s a chance to be part of the new, ever-improving city of Stockton. SJM
For more information:
Visit www.stocktonrodeo.com. |
