Summer rodeo series coming to Meeker

MEEKER | Weekly rodeo is returning to Meeker for the summer.
“Regas (Halandras) talked to me a couple years ago about bringing rodeo to Meeker,” said Tyler Farris of Silt. Farris, 25, owns and operates Farris Bucking Bulls, providing professional quality stock for rodeos nationwide. “I’ve been thinking about it, and decided this year was the year to do it.”
Farris is handling the organization of the Meeker rodeo series. He’ll haul a full complement of rodeo stock—bulls, broncs, calves and more—to Meeker from Silt each week for 13 weeks, excluding July 6.
“It’ll be one, if not two, semi loads and a gooseneck trailer,” Farris said.
The rodeos in Meeker will be amateur, non-sanctioned rodeos, but Farris said he expects “a lot of pro-level contestants.”
While he has entrants lined up from Nevada, Wyoming and Idaho already, he wants to encourage locals to sign up.
“Bring your own horse or borrow one,” he said.
The rodeo series will include all the usual events: ranch bronc, saddle bronc, bareback, ladies and junior breakaway roping, team roping, junior and amateur bull riding, big kids and adult dally ribbon roping, a calcutta cowhide race, open bull riding, barrel racing and mutton bustin’.
For this first season, prizes will come out of the entry fees in a weekly jackpot format. At the end of the season, Farris plans to offer prizes for top point-getters, but what those prizes will be hasn’t been decided.
“The first year it’s hard to get sponsorships,” he said. Farris said the cost to put on each rodeo is between $7,000 and $8,000 a week.
He hopes to have between 80 and 150 competitors each week. Entry fees range from $10 a ride for mutton bustin’ to $80 for a big kid dally ribbon roping team. Interested vendors may also apply.
Tickets for rodeo spectators will be $12. Children 8 and under are free.
For more information call 970-274-9833 or visit the Facebook page at facebook.com/meeker2017summerrodeoseries/.
To sign up for an event, call 970-274-3994. Entries will be taken beginning the Tuesday prior to each rodeo from 6-8 p.m.
The rodeos will begin at 7 p.m. starting Thursday, June 1 at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds.