Southern Idaho’s Beloved Rodeo Tradition Endures

The thrill of watching a cowgirl fly around a barrel on horseback or cheering on a bull rider under stadium lights is hard to beat. Anyone who has seen a live rodeo knows the feeling of excitement in the air as athletes on horseback gallop into the arena to the national anthem. Southern Idaho’s rodeo tradition runs deep, with legendary names emerging from its schools and an array of local rodeos that have entertained crowds for decades.

This article first appeared on Livability.com.

Gooding Pro Rodeo: A Southern Idaho Tradition

The Gooding Pro Rodeo is a Southern Idaho staple, nearing 100 years of entertaining the community. For Ted Harbin, a journalist who has covered rodeos for most of his career, this annual Gooding County rodeo is unique in the region.

“The local people in Gooding really work hard to make sure that they have the very best of what is needed in ProRodeo,” Harbin says.

In addition to bringing in the best athletes and livestock, the Gooding Pro Rodeo also attracts some of the best entertainers in the industry, including award-winning rodeo clowns and announcers. Despite these assets, Harbin says, it is the fans that matter above all. Unique amongst rodeos, the “Beer Worthy” seating section at the Gooding Pro Rodeo earns athletes a cold brew for a great ride — or even a great wreck.

“The fans make the Gooding Pro Rodeo,” Harbin says.

College of Southern Idaho: A Legacy of Rodeo Champions

Throughout the years, rodeo has become a way for some of Southern Idaho’s top rodeo competitors to reconnect with their roots. The College of Southern Idaho (CSI) in Twin Falls has produced multiple world champions, including bull riders Cody Hancock and the late Blue Stone, who was inducted into the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame in 2024.

With its deep agricultural roots, rodeo is a way for some fans to pay respect to a rural way of life. Compared with other professional sports, local rodeos are an inexpensive and accessible way for fans to connect with Western culture.

“This is a chance for people to not only celebrate professional sports and professional athletes but to also celebrate a little bit of Americana,” Harbin says.

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Beyond the Buckle

At CSI, legendary rodeo coaches, from Shawn Davis to Lewis Feild, have mentored youth on the junior college’s rodeo team, providing an education not just in rodeo but in life itself.

For Steve Birnie, the current rodeo coach at CSI, the opportunity to coach students was a culmination of a childhood on a ranch and a career in teaching.

“It was something I grew up doing,” Birnie says. “I just love the sport and love helping kids, so it’s kind of the best of both worlds.”

While the college has historically turned out plenty of champions, more recent successes include breakaway roper and two-time Rocky Mountain ProRodeo All-Around Cowgirl Cassie Bahe Latham and professional saddle bronc rider Mitch Pollock, who have represented their CSI roots in rodeos across the country.

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The rodeo team at CSI consists of up to 30 cowboys and cowgirls who balance their athletic achievements with academics. While the team has had major successes over his time as coach, including multiple overall wins in the Rocky Mountain Region, one of the things Birnie is most proud of has nothing to do with sports; his team boasts the highest GPA of any sports team on campus.

“Doing the right thing, making good choices, and being a good person is so much more important than any accomplishment, any buckle or money that you’re going to win,” Birnie says.

While many student athletes come from an agricultural background, Birnie says it’s not uncommon for business or criminal justice majors to join the team. The love for rodeo is growing, and Southern Idaho continues to be a home for this storied tradition.

“Rodeo is an event that really helps bring the community together and develops a sense of pride in your community,” Birnie says.