Buffalo Championship Rodeo

History

The Buffalo P.R.C.A Championship Rodeo is Minnesota's oldest continuous event. The Buffalo Rodeo.  Started in 1955, it's Minnesota's longest running Professional Rodeo event.  The Rodeo was started, owned, and managed by local business man Don Price.  After ten years of remarkable growth, Don realized the Rodeo was too large for one man to handle and transferred ownership to the Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce.  In 2003, a new Non Profit "The Buffalo Rodeo Association" was formed and the Rodeo is operated independently by this group.

In 1970, the Buffalo Rodeo constructed it's own facility on it's present site east of Buffalo near the Buffalo airport and civic center.  Consisting of 20 acres and permanent bleachers, arena, and bucking chutes. The arena was called the Buffalo Sports Arena.  In 2001 the arena was dedicated the "Lester Daluge Sports Arena".  Named after Lester Daluge a 30 year member of the committee who lost a long battle with cancer.  The arena is the home arena for two Saddle Clubs, the Buffalo Saddle Club, and the Stars and Stirrups Saddle Club.  The arena is utilized throughout the season for events such as Demo Derby, Car Show, Truck and Tractor Pull, Circus, High School Rodeo, Cowboy Mounted Shooting, and multiple horse shows.

This annual event is put on by over 200 volunteers from around the area. Our stock contractor, Bob Barnes, was entered into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1994, for his outstanding commitment to the sport. Bob Passed away in November of 2013 and will definitly be missed by the Rodeo community. The Barnes PRCA Rodeo Company has been stock contractor for the Buffalo Rodeo for nearly 60 years.

The Buffalo Rodeo is one of seven rodeos in the country nominated for the National Small Rodeo of the Year honor. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) nominees are selected by contract personnel, the folks who provide the rodeo livestock. Over 1,000 of these people submit first, second, and third choices. A first place pick is worth three points, second is worth two points, and third is worth one point. When the top seven nominees have been selected, a ballot is mailed to contract personnel, rodeo committees, and selected rodeo contestants. They can vote for only one of the seven nominated rodeos.

We have had many NFR qualifying cowboys at the Buffalo Rodeo over the years. This list includes: seven time All-Around World Champion Ty Murray, World Champion Bull Rider Cody Custer, and the late Lane Frost.

The Buffalo Championship Rodeo is part of the Great Lakes Pro Rodeo Circuit, which is made up of rodeos in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.

This rodeo gets entries from 250 - 300 cowboys and cowgirls from all over the United States and Canada. Many National Finals Rodeo qualifiers compete each year at Buffalo.