The spectacle that is the St. Paul Rodeo

Published 8:57 am Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Action inside and outside the arena draws tens of thousands to the tiny town for first day of five-day rite in July

More than 750 contestants and thousands of onlookers descended on the tiny town of St. Paul on Day 1 of what organizers bill as the largest Fourth of July rodeo in the land.

With a payout of nearly a half-million dollars and the opportunity to add a win in one of the nation’s most prestigious competitions, encouraging competitors to make the trek to the tiny town of 350 residents has not proven difficult.

The five-day rodeo sits smack dab in the middle of the schedule for competitors this season, and the collection of competitions are often called Cowboy Christmas due to the opportunity for competitors to win purse money.

“Cowboys and cowgirls hustle to compete at as many rodeos as they can, to earn as much money as they can, all in pursuit of a trip to the Wrangler National Finals,” a release said.

An example of the flurry of competition cowboys and cowgirls put themselves through at this time of the year is Dalton Massey, defending steer wrestling champion who is ranked seventh in the world standings and who is laser focused on qualifying for a third Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Massey is set to compete in St. Paul on July 3 before leaving town to journey more than 800 miles to the Canadian province of Alberta to compete at the Calgary Stampede the next day.

It’s a 13-hour drive and he and his traveling partners plan to share the driving duties, primarily at night. Sunflower seeds, strong coffee and energy drinks can help get drivers through the night shift, but adrenaline from winning is the best stimulant for keeping drivers awake.

“If you win the round at St. Paul, you might drive the whole way there,” Massey said in the release.

Rodeo approaching a century of competition

The rodeo began in 1935 when a group of local farmers and businessmen joined forces to organize a Fourth of July celebration of the rough and tumble world of living in rural Oregon. The group put out the word that a new fun event was planned for early July in the city park and that there would be $500 in purse money.

Fifty cowboys showed up to compete the first year. Now the total purse money is approaching $550,000, and nearly 1,000 competitors were on hand this year.

The event is the culmination of thousands of hours of work by volunteers throughout the year in preparation “for five days filled with color, action, excitement and something for everyone,” a release said.

Something for everyone

Many of those who attended the rodeo never entered the arena, but rather migrated to the midway for the games, rides and fabulous food; to the Bull Pen to down a libation, listen to music and cut a rug; to the famous Tack Room Saloon to socialize and wet their whistle or to the Trading Post Tent to peruse western-themed art, clothing and other accoutrements.

Hundreds looked skyward long after the arena fell silent to witness the nightly fireworks show, some from atop a ferris wheel or one of the other popular rides in the carnival. Others plan to attend the annual Fourth of July parade through the streets of St. Paul, all under the watchful eyes of the members of the Royal Court: Queen Macy Montgomery and Princesses Morgan Brownell and Anna Baumholtz.

For more information on the rodeo, including how competitors fared, visit stpaulrodeo.com.