Finch is living a Rooftop Rodeo dream she’s had since she was young

ESTES PARK, Colo. – With a diploma in hand and a sash across her chest, Lily Finch is entrenched in a summertime tradition that is Rooftop Rodeo.

As this year’s matriarch of the royalty program, Finch is the Rooftop Rodeo queen, a title she first manifested 13 years ago at age 6.

“I started my reign as queen in October, and so far this year, it’s been amazing,” said Finch, a 2026 Estes Park High School graduate. “I had this really cool realization. There’s this picture of me as a little kid, and my Halloween costume is me dressed up as a rodeo queen.

“I took a picture with the rodeo queen of that year, which was Michelle Claypool. She was my babysitter, and she’s the reason that I got into rodeo at all, so to be in this spot that I’m in now is amazing.”

She will continue her position into the fall, but the lion’s share of her workload will take place during this year’s Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Monday, July 6-Saturday, July 11, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds. She will also be on hand during the Rooftop Rodeo Royalty competition, which takes place June 27-28, with a clinic following June 30. Anyone interested can learn more at https://www.rooftoprodeo.com/rtrroyalty2.html.

For Finch, t’s about getting back to her roots and sharing her passion for the Western way of life with others.

“To be in this spot now is amazing,” she said. “I have an impact on our community, and I get to be part of such an awesome thing in our town. One of the very best parts is seeing all the people that come that don’t know anything about the rodeo. At our event, we have a lot of first-time rodeo people, so they’ve never been to one before.

“We get to teach them the very beginnings of what rodeo is and how it became.”

Rodeo has been and always will be a nod to the Old West. It’s a sport that originated on ranches and pitted the best cowboys from one against the best from another. During the Behind the Chutes Tours, members of the royalty program, volunteers and contract personnel provide insights about the game and about the intricacies of how its played.

Finch has grown up with Rooftop Rodeo. From that 2013 Halloween to her place as the 2018 junior princess to realizing the dream she’s living now, she’s studied those before her and has been eager to share those lessons with others.

“The best part is how much I’ve learned from this,” Finch said. “Being part of it for so long, it really becomes obvious to me how much it’s taught me. I’ve really grown through this. A few years ago, I would not have been able to go up to people and have a conversation, but I’ve become so capable at that. I can have an adult conversation and stay professional.

“It makes life outside rodeo even easier. Everything is not as scary to me now, because I’ve had so much experience with interviewing and talking to people through the rodeo world.”

She fell in love with horses at an early age, and that passion still follows. So has her love of rodeo, which has blossomed inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds.

“I hope to stay pretty involved with rodeo, whether that’s side jobs or just going and watching different rodeos,” Finch said. “I hope I can stay involved in one way or another, even if that’s just volunteering for Rooftop Rodeo again once I’m done with my title.”

 

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. 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.