Tooele County may want to add more seats to the outdoor rodeo arena at Deseret Peak Complex to accommodate the growing number of fans of the annual Fourth of July Bit ’N Spur Rodeo.
“It was the largest rodeo in Utah during the Fourth of July weekend, including a PRCA rodeo up in Oakley,” said Bret Brockmeier, rodeo director. “We were sold out both nights; we definitely need more seating.”
In addition to the 76th Annual Bit ’N Spur Rodeo, other Rocky Mountain Pro Rodeo Association events on the holiday weekend included rodeos in Mount Pleasant and Salina.
Before the main rodeos on Sunday and Monday, a special needs rodeo and youth rodeo were held on Saturday.
About 50 individuals participated in the special needs rodeo at the indoor arena at Deseret Peak Complex.
“The turnout was phenomenal for the first year. This is awesome. We just want this rodeo to get bigger and better next year,” said special needs rodeo chairman Chad Woolsey.
Events included roping, mechanical bull riding, stick horse barrel racing, hide pull, goat and mini petting corral, hay rides, and barrel horses.
Youth rodeo winners in the 12-15 age bracket included Devin Johnson, breakaway; Kalli Smith, barrels; Wacey Nohr, pole bending; Cooper Sagers, Kody Russell, team roping; and Wacey Nohr, goat tying.
Whitley Hatt was the 12-15 All Around Cowgirl, and Wacey Nohr, the 12-15 All Around Cowgirl.
Laramie Johnson won the 8-11 All Around Cowgirl and Devin Johnson, the 8-11 All Around Cowboy.
The Bit ’N Spur Rodeo continues to draw plenty of fans, and a patriotic grand entry is a big hit.
“It’s a well organized rodeo and the committee is second to none. Anything that needs to be done committee members jump right on it,” Bret Brockmeier said.
“We had quite a few people help sponsor the rodeo who had never sponsored it before; that helps a ton with finances,” he said The rodeo helps bring in visitors from outside the state to spend money in Tooele County with people coming in from Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada and other states.
Bret and Darcy Brockmeier were the directors for the rodeo this year after spending seven or eight years helping under Jim Harrell and Cindy Elton who were the directors for the past 10 years.
The big winners at the rodeo this year were Morgan Heaton, bareback; Hayze Madsen, saddle bronc; with Stockton’s Gage Rydalch fourth in saddle bronc; Kade Madson, bullriding; Josh Jennings and Shane Hancock, tie-down roping; Kara Burns, breakaway roping; Zach Trapp, steer wrestling; Chelsie Jensen, barrel racing; Rhett Anderson-Dusty Morse, team roping.
High School state champion bull rider Cooper James of Erda sits in fourth-place in the RMPRA bull riding standings with winnings of $3,921. 52. He also is seventh in saddle bronc riding with winnings of $1,109.67.