PRESTON — That Famous Preston Night Rodeo continues more than 100 years of rodeo in Preston this week.
The rodeo grounds and surrounding area were a racetrack in the early 1900s used for horse racing.
The rodeo began in 1921 as the Preston Round-Up and but didn’t become famous until 1935 or 1936 when the first night rodeo was held. The idea was to beat the dry, dusty heat of the day by moving events to the evening.
It was the first rodeo west of the Mississippi to be held under the lights at night and as such the name “That Famous Preston Night Rodeo” stuck.
The rodeo is known as a quality small-town rodeo, attracting top-ranked cowboys and cowgirls, and has won multiple awards including Large Rodeo of the Year in Idaho for the Wilderness Circuit. It has had PRCA membership since 1937.
The fun begins Wednesday, July 30, with Carnival of Fun at 5 p.m. and slack, which is free to watch, at 7 p.m. The slack events narrow down the field and only the top scores advance to the rodeo and compete for the purse. Thursday, July 31, through Saturday, Aug 2, will be the main rodeo events.
JJ Harrison returns as the rodeo clown and barrelman again this year. He is considered one of the best rodeo clowns around.
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