Local, regional, national supporters help bring top talent to Gooding Pro Rodeo

GOODING, Idaho – Maybe the most difficult question to answer in southern Idaho is this: What makes the Gooding Pro Rodeo special?

Sure, there’s incredible action with ProRodeo’s elite in the mix. There are incredible bucking athletes and timed-event horses. Those things stand out, but there are a lot of rodeos across North America that feature superstars, those National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and world champions.

“The only way to answer that is to just experience it for yourself,” said Don Gill, manager of the Gooding County Fair and Rodeo. “It’s hard to explain, but I think once people have seen it for themselves, they realize what we have here in Gooding.”

The Gooding Pro Rodeo presented by Idaho Ford Dealers is set for Thursday, Aug. 14-Saturday, Aug. 16, with a special “Beauty and the Beast” performance set for Wednesday, Aug. 13. All performances take place at 8 p.m. at Andy James Arena. In fact, it’s sponsors like the Idaho Ford Dealers that have seen the magic happen, which is why they support the rodeo so intently.

“We’re very blessed to have some incredible partners, whether they’re in the community, in the region or national,” Gill said. “Our sponsors have helped us improve our rodeo across the board. They support us, built us and helped us increase our added money so that we’re one of the premier rodeos in the country.”

That’s true. Hundreds of contestants will make their way to Gooding in mid-August with hopes of securing their fair share of Idaho cash. It’s in their nature to be competitive, but there’s something else that attracts them to town.

“I think everyone who comes to our rodeo comes to interact with and see that crowd,” Gill said. “There’s just something about it that I don’t think any other rodeo has. Our entire crowd is electric for four nights.”

The combination of an enthusiastic audience and superb competition is why so many sponsors have elected to be part of the spectacle. This is the first year that Idaho Ford Dealers has served as presenting sponsor, but there are others that prove to be community supporters: Burk’s Tractor, Glanbia, Magic Valley Milk Producers, Pendleton Whisky, Quanta, Watkins Distributing, Valley Wide, Sliman & Butler Irrigation and Northwest Livestock Buyers.

“We have a fantastic community that supports this rodeo, but the sponsors are the ones who really make this thing happen,” Gill said. “Without them, we don’t draw the top cowboys, we don’t have three great stock contractors and we don’t have our ‘Beer Worthy’ section. This rodeo is amazing because of the sponsors.”