Graphic by the PRCA

 

Increased purse pushes Estes Park rodeo into the Playoff Series

ESTES PARK, Colo. – There is a proud history associated with Rooftop Rodeo, and the legend continues to grow with time.

Estes Park’s rodeo has been named one of the best. It’s a six-time winner of the ProRodeo of the Year on the national stage, five with the PRCA and one with the WPRA. It has also been honored regionally as one of the best events in the Mountain States Circuit.

The legacy will be enhanced for next year’s rodeo – set for 7 p.m. Monday, July 6-Saturday, July 11, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds – by being part of the 2026 Playoff Series. Rooftop Rodeo is one of four that will be welcomed into the series for the first time, joining festivals in Nashville; Elko, Nevada; and Sikeston, Missouri.

“Being part of the Playoff Series is a big deal, because the series utilizes the top 60 rodeos in the country regarding overall payout,” said Cindy Schonholtz, Rooftop Rodeo’s coordinator. “Because of our tremendous partners here, we were able to increase our purse significantly this year.”

It’s paying off. Estes Park’s annual event featured a record number of contestants in 2025, and that figure could increase with the importance of the Playoff Series. Cowboys and cowgirls will earn points based on how they place at each series rodeo. Twelve contestants in each event will qualify to compete at the series championship, which paid $32,000 to each of the winners just a month and a half ago.

“Estes Park has always been a good place for the contestants to come because it’s a chance to cool off from the hot summer run and enjoy the surroundings, but we want to give them even more incentive to be here,” Schonholtz said. “Being a Playoff Series rodeo offers that. It’s going to add to our hospitality and our community.

“Our rodeo caters to a variety of people, whether they’re locals who come every year or tourists who are in town for just a few days. We want to give them the best rodeo they can have.”

The Playoff Series will begin in January at Odessa, Texas, and will feature events from Jackson, Mississippi, to Kitsap, Washington. It wraps the final weekend of September in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rooftop Rodeo will be one of four Colorado stops on the series, which includes Denver, Greeley and Castle Rock.

“Rodeo is a sport of opportunity,” Schonholtz said. “These contestants are not guaranteed anything but a chance to win money and earn Playoff Series points, and they’re going to come to Estes Park for that opportunity.

“Having that ups our game and, in the process, improves the kind of rodeo our fans will get to see.”

. . .

Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Monday, July 6-Saturday, July 11, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 2026 Rooftop Rodeo go on sale at 10 a.m. (Mountain time) Nov. 19. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.