CC men and women in action at the 68th Annual CC Ropin’ and Riggin’ Days Rodeo
The Casper College Rodeo team will host the college’s 68th Annual Ropin’ and Riggin’ Days Rodeo April 12-14 at The Arena.
After competing April 5-7 at Colorado State University’s 73rd Annual Skyline Stampede, the Thunderbird men are in third place in the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. The T-Birds currently have 3,265 points, 415 points behind the second-place Gillette College Pronghorns and 500 points behind the first-place University of Wyoming Cowboys. On the women’s side, the Thunderbirds are in sixth place with 565 points.
Currently, James Perrin, Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada, holds first place in saddle bronc riding with 740 points, and Talon Elshere, Hereford, South Dakota, is in third with 685 points. Saddle bronc is a popular category with the T-Birds as five more cowboys placed in the top 12, including Eastan West, Hereford, South Dakota; Colten Powell, Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada; Malcom Heathershaw, Quinn, South Dakota; Quanah Glade, Canada; and Blain Pengelly, Caroline, Alberta, Canada.
Casper also holds first place in bareback riding with Chase Siemens, Chetwynd, British Columbia, Canada, with 980 points. Three other cowboys are in the top 10: Monte Downare, Hartsel, Colorado; Reece Reder, Belle Fourche, South Dakota; and Austin Broderson, Turin, Alberta, Canada.
The top two schools will send full six-man and four-woman teams to the year-end College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, June 9-15. In addition, the top three scorers in each event are also sent to the CNFR to compete for their school. The Thunderbirds have one more rodeo after Ropin’ and Riggin’ Days at the University of Wyoming’s Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo April 19-21.
Casper College employees and students are admitted to all the rodeo performances free of charge. Both groups are also encouraged to dress in their best rodeo jeans and shirts on Friday to show support for the team, something the college has always done.
The rodeo will feature two slack runs and three performances. Slack will be held on Friday at 1 p.m. and on Saturday at 10 a.m. Performances will be held on Friday and Saturday evenings at 6, with the final performance at 10 a.m. Sunday. Cowboy church will be held Sunday at 8 a.m. Tickets are $7 for adults, $4 for those 60 or older and students 13-17, free for children 12 and under, and $17 to attend both slacks and all three rodeos. Tickets can be purchased at The Arena box office on the day of each performance. The Arena is located at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds in Casper. For those unable to attend in person, the rodeo will be livestreamed here.