Dodge City Roundup Rodeo honored by Time magazine

Time magazine selected the "Greatest Show on Dirt," as the most authentic American experience in the whole state of Kansas.
    As part of the 50 most authentic experiences in the country, the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo was chosen to represent the state, joining attractions such as the Aurora Ice Museum in Alaska, Yellowstone in Montana and the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
    "I'd have to agree with them," said Colleen Hastings, the administrative assistant at the Roundup. "It's pretty prestigious to be picked out of the whole state."
    The Dodge City Roundup Rodeo is among the top rodeo events in the nation, attracting some of the best cowboys in the country to compete in bareback riding, calf-roping, steer-wrestling, bullriding and barrel racing.
    The Roundup Rodeo is also the only Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) ProTour Rodeo in Kansas.
    During the 10-day Dodge City Days events beginning in late July, five nights of PRCA rodeo action takes place with approximately 25,000 people attending each year. 
    The Miss Rodeo Kansas Queen and Teen Pageants also call the Roundup home and have their coronation during the Dodge City Days festivities.
    Throughout the year, other events are held at the Roundup Arena including the nation's longest running Little Britches Rodeo, which attracts contestants from about 12 states. Families and participants from across the state also flock to the arena for the Dodge Roundup High School Rodeo competition.
    Since its conception in 1977, the Roundup Rodeo has continued to grow from 175 contestants to nearly 800 with a payout of $275,000, according to the Roundup Web site.
    Dodge City Roundup PRCA Rodeo has been awarded the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association's (PRCA) "Large Outdoor Rodeo Committee of the Year" nine times.
    Hastings said the high-standard of the rodeo events at the Roundup Arena is preserved by the work of volunteers who commit their time and money to the non-profit organization. A board of directors, Hastings and volunteers work to promote rodeo through the events they organize and host every year.
    The quality of the rodeos at the Roundup Arena is kept high by volunteers who are committed to preserving the heritage and active lifestyle of Kansas, said Danielle Crouch, co-owner of Crouch Valley Horse Company. 
    "There's a huge western heritage in this part of the state and people support it," Crouch said. "This keeps it alive. It says a lot for this community and the people that live here."
    Crouch also said the national recognition is exciting.
    "It's great for Dodge City and for rodeo," she said. "It's definitely great for Kansas."

Reach Cherise Forno at (620) 408-9931 or e-mail her at cherise.forno@dodgeglobe.com.