SANDPOINT — As several thousand people sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and Old Glory circles the arena, a feeling settles over the crowd that is difficult to put into words.  

It’s the feeling that the Sandpoint PRCA Rodeo aims to share every year as contestants from around the country gather to keep the cowboy spirit alive through their sport. 

With every calf roped, barrel turned and eight-second ride completed, rodeo attendees have a chance to cheer on those competing in the arena. But behind the dirt, sweat and excitement of each event is the Sandpoint Rodeo committee.  

The group works year-round to ensure a smooth and exciting performance for newcomers and rodeo veterans alike. 

“We all share the same passion of rodeo. It’s not just a sport or an attraction we bring here, but also that Western heritage, the Western morals, that way of life to our community that’s changed so much in the last 10 years,” Rodeo President Levi Irish said. “It’s something we all live by, those Western morals, and being able to bring that to the community and watch it come in full circle during the rodeo, it’s pretty cool.”  

To Irish, the rodeo goes further than roping and riding, although competition remains at the heart of the event. Irish and the committee believe that the respect and values associated with the cowboy way of life are part of what has made rodeo an enduring tradition.  

“It’s a cowboy way of life,” Irish said.  

The rodeo committee is made up of approximately 12 volunteers and relies on help from about 35 community members to prepare for the two-day event. The volunteer effort stretches from preparing the arena and coordinating livestock to managing gates, concessions and cleanup after the final ride. For Irish, that behind-the-scenes work is part of what keeps the rodeo rooted in the community long after the stands empty. 

Outside of the committee, Irish said the rodeo would not be possible without support from the greater community.  

“Sponsorships are a big one. We could not put on this rodeo or fair without the community support. It could never happen,” Irish said. “Without the community support for what we believe in, it would be very difficult.”  

For Irish and the volunteers behind the event, that support is what allows the rodeo to remain not only an annual attraction, but a chance to preserve and share a way of life they believe continues to have a place in North Idaho. 

Due to print deadlines, full results from the Sandpoint Rodeo will be published in Tuesday’s Daily Bee. 

      

    A cowboy waits for his turn to attempt to wrestle a steer, one of eight events at the Sandpoint rodeo
  

    A cowboy attempts to rope a calf during the tie-down roping event
  

    A cowboy participating in bareback riding, where he accomplished an 8-second ride