The Snake River Stampede is a

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

held in

Nampa The Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) is the national news agency of the Republic of Namibia. It was founded in 1987 under the name Namibia Press Association as a SWAPO partisan press agency, and resuscitated after independence under its current name ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

. It is one of the top twelve professional rodeos recognized by the

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the N ...

and is held for five days every year, previously held during the third week of July, but changed to the third week of June in 2025. There are many community events which help kick off the rodeo week. The rodeo was inducted by the

ProRodeo Hall of Fame The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, p ...

in 2014.

History

The Snake River Stampede had its humble beginnings as a bucking contest in conjunction with Nampa's

harvest festival A harvest festival is an annual Festival, celebration that occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times at different ...

. The bucking contest was added to the

in 1913 and it became the "Rodeo and Buck Show." An area was roped off for the contest on the present site of the Nampa

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

. Spectators watched from behind the ropes, as there were no bleachers. The bucking contest gained in popularity, and other events were added to the show. By 1937, the rodeo broke away from the autumn harvest festival, and the show moved to summer in July. At this time, the rodeo joined the

and a new name was chosen. After considering such names as Ski-Hi Rodeo and Thunder Mountain Round Up, rodeo director Ike Corlett chose "Snake River Stampede." In 1950, a new stadium was built on Garrity Boulevard, directly west of the American Legion baseball stadium (Bill Lofholm Field at Rodeo Park) and north of Lakeview Park.MSR Maps.com
- aerial photo - 1992-05-25 - accessed 2012-01-24 The horseshoe-shaped outdoor stadium opened to the east and seated 10,000. Cowboy singers were brought in to sing at half-time, during the rodeo.

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...

was the first of such singers, followed by others, such as

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

Dale Evans Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the second wife of singing cowboy film star Roy Rogers. Early life and career Dale Evans was born ...

Rex Allen Rex Elvie Allen Sr. (December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999), known as "The Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his cont ...

, and the

Sons of the Pioneers The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music per ...

. The era of Cowboy stars died out and

country singers A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, or dep ...

were added to the lineup. Performers included

Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

, and

Barbara Mandrell Barbara Ann Mandrell (born December 25, 1948) is an American retired country music singer and musician. She is also credited as an actress and author. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she was considered among country's most successful mus ...

. During the 1980s, singers were replaced by more rodeo events, such as

team roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a Cattle#Terminology, steer (typically a Corriente) and two equestrianism, mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the fr ...

, ladies'

barrel racing Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur an ...

, and

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

. Kids'

mutton busting Mutton busting is an event held at rodeos similar to bull riding or bronc riding, in which children ride or race sheep. Description In the event, a sheep is held still, either in a small chute or by an adult handler while a child is placed on to ...

was added in the 1990s. In 1997, a brand new indoor stadium was built in conjunction with the

Ford Idaho Center The Ford Idaho Center is a complex of sports and entertainment venues in Nampa, Idaho, approximately west of Boise. About The Ford Idaho Center Arena is best known for rodeo. It annually hosts the Snake River Stampede, considered one of the na ...

, located just northeast of exit 38 on Interstate 84. The 1950 stadium at the "Stampede Grounds" was demolished and the site is now occupied b
The Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho
It is separated from the baseball field by a new street, Stampede Drive, which passes through the area that held the east ends of the north and south grandstands. The open area to the northeast was used for parking and is no
Snake River Elementary School
The stampede went on hiatus in 1917–18, 1942–45 & 2020.

Community festival

There are many popular events to kick off the week of the Snake River Stampede during Snake River Days. These events are designed to create enthusiasm among residents to see the rodeo. They also create a sense of community in the city. * Buckaroo Breakfast * Rodeo

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

* Equestrian Drill Team Competition

Pre-rodeo events

* Rope & Run * Slack Competition *

Mutton busting Mutton busting is an event held at rodeos similar to bull riding or bronc riding, in which children ride or race sheep. Description In the event, a sheep is held still, either in a small chute or by an adult handler while a child is placed on to ...

* Miss Rodeo Idaho Competition * Calf Scramble Scholarship Endowment * Equestrian Drill Teams * Snake River Stampeders - Night Light Equestrian Drill Team

Rodeo events

Saddle bronc riding Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse (sometimes called a ''bronc'' or ''bronco'') that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally bas ...

Steer wrestling Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event in which a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer, then wrestles the steer to the ground by grabbing its horns and pulling it off-balance so that it fall ...

* Bareback bronc riding *

Team roping Team roping also known as heading and heeling is a rodeo event that features a Cattle#Terminology, steer (typically a Corriente) and two equestrianism, mounted riders. The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the fr ...

Barrel racing Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur an ...

Bull riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to bucking, buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." ...

References

External links

Snake River Stampede

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
{{coord, 43, 36, 29, N, 116, 30, 29, W, display=title Rodeos Culture of Idaho Tourist attractions in Canyon County, Idaho Festivals in Idaho ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees