by Terry Lidral
The Caldwell Night Rodeo (CNR) is celebrating 100 years of western tradition.
The first recorded event linked to the Caldwell Night Rodeo was rather an informal affair that took place in 1923.
In 1935, the first Night Rodeo was held as a celebration commemorating the 25th anniversary of the beginning of irrigation on the Boise Project. Lights were installed specifically for the event making it the first Night Rodeo in Southern Idaho.
Over the past one hundred years, the CNR has grown into one of the top outdoor rodeos in the world. In 2022, CNR was nominated by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) as a Top 5 Outdoor Rodeo, in the elite company of the Calgary Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Deadwood, South Dakota’s Days of 76 Rodeo and the Pendleton Round-up.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association was created in 1936 by a group of disgruntled rodeo cowboys. Read the story here: https://caldwellnightrodeo.com/prca/
The Caldwell Night Rodeo, the place where “the cowboys are the stars,” has built a reputation of excellence that draws the top professional cowboys and cowgirls in the sport of rodeo. In 2023, there were over 700 entries vying for a total payout of nearly $400,000.
Year after year, the best rodeo competitors in the world have put on some of the sport’s greatest performances in the CNR arena. Celebrated PRCA champions like ProRodeo Hall of Fame Inductee and 26-time PRCA Overall Champion Trevor Brazille hold CNR’s arena records that have yet to be broken. PRCA Bull Riding Champion and 3-time PRCA Overall Champion Stetson Wright won the 2022 CNR bull riding with a thrilling 93 point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s bucking bull Domino. Barrel racer Stevi Hillman, a 4-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier has been CNR Barrel Racing Champion twice. Her sensational run in 2017 of 16.18 seconds currently still holds the arena record.
Read the story of Ruger Piva’s ride of a lifetime here: https://westernlivingjournal.com/bull-rider-ruger-piva-makes-ride-of-a-lifetime/
The CNR’s standing as a Top 5 rodeo has been built through dedication and commitment to excellence. The CNR Arena, recently named the D & B Arena, has a reputation for outstanding quality of arena dirt. (As with any outdoor sport, the quality of performance depends on the quality of the playing surface.) The Women’s Pro Rodeo Association awarded the CNR its coveted Justin Best Footing Award for outstanding arena dirt. The award is given for going above and beyond to ensure safe ground for the animal athletes of the rodeo.
The CNR’s commitment to excellence has earned it the reputation of being one of the most invested and electric venues in all of rodeo. CNR fans are known as some of the most enthusiastic and knowledgable fans anywhere and the victory lap in the D & B Arena is one of the most coveted and jubilant moments on the rodeo circuit.
But the CNR is not just a week-long rodeo. Part of its mission is being a partner with the community, charities, youth and nonprofit organizations and having year-round community involvement. CNR has generated over $550,000 for mammograms and cancer screenings that benefit those in the community who are uninsured or underinsured. Patriot Night has raised over $100,000 to be used by local veterans services and monetary support is also provided for local youth and domestic violence programs. Local organizations and charities are benefited by a holiday event, Miracle on Blaine Street, held each November .
As the rodeo arrives at its 100th anniversary, there is a lot to celebrate. And for this Top 5 Outdoor Rodeo, the future looks very bright.
