What began in 2021 as an effort to give young people in Clark County an opportunity to get involved in rodeo has grown into one of the largest youth rodeos in the Pacific Northwest.
The Rockin’ Youth Rodeo returned last weekend from Friday, Aug. 28, through Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Clark County Saddle Club in Battle Ground, bringing an estimated 270 competitors from across Washington, Oregon and Idaho, according to organizer Lacy Keller.
“We started it in 2021, just as we felt like there was a need to have an opportunity for kids in rodeo, especially in Clark County,” Keller said. “And so we started, you know, we have events and opportunities for kids, especially the little littles, which is really unique a lot of times.”
The event includes children at a variety of ages and skill levels, including some of the youngest participants in the sport.
“I feel like the little littles are overlooked, and by little littles, I mean like we have kids that sometimes aren't even 1 year old out there on a little pony,” Keller said.
The rodeo is designed not only as a competition, but as an introduction to the sport for families who may not know how to navigate the process of entering a rodeo.
“The rodeo provides kids an opportunity to try and get involved in the rodeo world,” Keller said. “Sometimes it can be hard to understand even downright entering a rodeo and how that process works.”
Keller said a major part of her role as a producer is helping families become comfortable with the process.
“And so I really built a lot of focus around helping guide parents to do this and be friendly and understanding,” she said.
This year marked the second time the rodeo was held at the Clark County Saddle Club. Organizers also expanded the competition by adding a high school-age division for competitors ages 14 to 19.
The event also served as a last-chance qualifier for Vegas Tuffest, giving competitors an opportunity to earn a spot to compete in Las Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo in December.
The regional reach of the rodeo has continued to grow, with competitors traveling from throughout the Pacific Northwest, including as far south as Klamath Falls, Oregon and east to Idaho.
“I feel pretty confident when I say it's grown to be one of the biggest youth rodeos in the whole Pacific Northwest,” Keller said.
The event's emphasis on teaching fundamentals is one of the ways Keller said it stands apart from other youth rodeos. Competitors can use sleds and dummies to learn skills before progressing to live cattle events.
For Keller, the value of rodeo extends beyond competition. Having grown up around the sport, she said it taught her lessons about resilience, respect and perseverance that have carried into other areas of her life.
“Rodeo gives that type of community to our kids. It teaches them those lessons,” Keller said. “Life isn't fair. Life can be hard at times, but you get back up and you continue to move forward. You should be respectful. You should be kind.”
She said caring for animals also provides another important lesson.
“You have a thousand-pound animal. That's your teammate that relies on you for your care,” Keller said. “These are the things that are truly spectacular about rodeo.”
Keller said the relationships formed through the sport are another reason she continues to organize the event.
“Outside the arena, kids play hard. They love each other in and out of the arena,” she said. “These kids aren't falling asleep with a tablet in their hand or staying up late. They're falling asleep early with dirty feet, dirty faces, and dirty jeans.”
Despite the work involved in producing an event that has grown quickly, Keller said seeing the impact on the young competitors makes the effort worthwhile.
“But it's a lot of kids' best day ever, right?” Keller said. “They look forward to it year after year after year. So I can't not do that.”
The rodeo's continued growth has also been supported by local sponsors and volunteers, Keller said.
“We cannot do this without our community,” she said. “The biggest advertisement and testament I could ever give is for somebody to come to our rodeo.”
For Keller, the goal remains bigger than the size of the event itself.
“And I'm not going to lie, that will be the goal one day,” she said of growing into one of the Pacific Northwest's largest youth rodeos. “And it's not about being the biggest, but it's just I believe in what we're doing.”
