Saturday, October 17, 2026

Question: Which Colorado town calls itself the “Home of the World’s First Rodeo”?

Answer: Deer Trail. Held on July 4, 1869, Deer Trail’s first rodeo champion was Emiline Gardenshire, who took the title of “Champion Bronco Buster of the Plains” after riding a bucking horse.

While Deer Trail holds this local tradition and documentation from July 1869, other towns like Pecos, Texas and Payson, Arizona make claims about hosting the first or oldest rodeo events.