It's officially rodeo season: 80th annual Elks Rodeo kicks off

City Reporter

Get your boots, belt buckles and hats ready. This weekend, Santa Maria is home to all things rodeo.

The 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo has officially begun.

The 2023 Elks Rodeo features traditional events like mutton bustin’ and action-packed PRCA events team roping, bull riding, bronc riding, bareback riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.

Of course, there's also WPRA events like barrel racing and breakaway roping.

This year's event will also include specialty acts: The Flying Cowboys, junior breakaway roping, Elks team roping and more.

The annual Elks Queen will be crowned Friday night with the ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Johnna Clark McGuire, the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo media director, says the rodeo is "a big community celebration where everybody comes together — generations."

"People that were raised on the Central Coast come home and they get to enjoy it," said Clark McGuire. "There's something for the kids, there's something for whether it's the dance party at night for the younger crowd or for those that just love to hang out and love to see old friends, and make new ones."

Waylon Estes, 6, was joined at the rodeo by mother Taylor and father Raymond, who said Waylon was chosen to sing the national anthem at a rodeo event.

Taylor says Waylon got the opportunity to sing because organizers "felt as though it would be a great inspiration" and that he's "very proud" and "very excited about it."

Colt Oder, a professional bullfighter, is joining the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo for the third time.

"Being a professional cowboy is a lot of fun," Oder said. "You get to travel and see a lot of different places and a lot of things and meet a ton of different people. In that, you can meet a ton of different career paths and opportunities so I really encourage it."

What does a bullfighter do?

"My job is to save the cowboys after they fall off the bulls," Oder said. "So I’ll take the bull in another direction and sometimes I've got to play with him in the middle of the arena by myself for a minute, it's a lot of fun."

Oder is back to the same arena of one of his more memorable nights in bullfighting. In 2021, he was clipped by a bull and flew about 10 feet in the air, into a metal railing, and was flipped again seconds later.

A variety of food vendors and opportunities to shop for new hats, jewelry, sweatshirts were set up Thursday.

Central Coast Party Factory has set up a variety of attractions for kids, including various bounce houses, games and an inflatable bull riding ring.

"We really encourage everybody to come early, check it out and you want to come early to make sure you get a seat in the grandstands," said McGuire. "Especially with the grandstand being sold out. People still come and enjoy the Midway, we have huge screens and it's still a huge party so don't feel discouraged. But if you have your ticket, and you want a grandstand seat, you have to come early."

The rodeo continues with performances Friday and Saturday evening and a final afternoon performance at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday morning.

Contestants prepare to participate in some of the Elks Rodeo festivities Thursday night, including the silver dollar dig and stick horse race.

Waylon Estes, center, with parents Taylor and Raymond, right, attend the opening night of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Thursday.

Livestock wait on the rodeo grounds ahead of the opening night of the 80th annual Elks Rodeo Thursday night.

The video board and the arena grounds were all set for action ahead of the opening night of the 80th annual Elks Rodeo Thursday night.

Organizers get ready for the opening night of the 80th annual Elks Rodeo Thursday night in Santa Maria.

Participants compete in the annual stick horse race at the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Thursday night. The rodeo celebrated opening night and will run through Sunday.

The crowd is treated to a performance ahead of Thursday night's Santa Maria Elks Rodeo.

The 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo began Thursday night and will continue through Sunday.

Participants compete in the stick pony riding contest at the Elks Rodeo Thursday night.

The 80th edition of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Parade wrapped up at the Elks Unocal Event Center on Sunday. Take a look at all of the fun and festivities from the past week by reading this collection of our rodeo coverage.

The 61st annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Beard-O-Reno contest took place Saturday at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge No. 1538. Fifteen contestants co…

The 61st annual Beard-A-Reno Contest was held Saturday as festivities for the 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo are heating up.

A nightly rodeo dedication gives Elks Rec the chance to let the world know just how much these individuals' commitment has meant over the years.

The Cowboy Up Carnival will be June 3, from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 each or $500 for a table of 10 with dinner included. Tickets can be purchased online at goldencircleofchampions.com.

On Friday night, June 2, Rylie Halsell will be in the Elks Unocal Event Center arena to pass the torch to one of six new queen hopefuls.

Memorial Day services took place Monday in Santa Maria honoring veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice at the Santa Maria Cemetery and the E…

Local media members and rodeo sponsors gathered to learn the way of the rodeo by attending the return of Clown College Tuesday.

Local media members and rodeo sponsors gathered to learn the way of the rodeo by attending the return of Clown College Tuesday. Participants w…

If you can't make it out to the 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo, you’ll have the chance to watch it on television.

The Parade rolls off at 10 a.m. but the participants will assemble much earlier.

Chael Silva is back for his second go-round at the 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo.

Local wines are gaining in popularity every year, and the Central Coast – especially the Santa Maria Valley – is known and celebrated nationwide.

Nevada Rohwedder, 11, a sixth-grader at Alice Shaw Elementary, is back for her second year as the Elks’ Miss Mini Rodeo.

"I always love coming to Santa Maria. It's such a great city and great rodeo," said Bob Tallman. "I’ve been coming here since I was a student at Cal Poly back in the 1960s."

Without a doubt, the most impactful program sponsored by the annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo is its annual Rodeo Queen campaign, and this year's – the Elks’ 80th – promises to be even better.

Olivia and Keith Bugal are the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Parade grand marshals – and they are both rocket scientists.

Get your boots, belt buckles and hats ready. This weekend, Santa Maria is home to all things rodeo.

Thousands of rodeo fans attended opening day of the 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo on Thursday. The event featured PRCA performances, live…

Thousands filled up a stretch of Broadway Saturday morning to view the annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Parade. Dozens of floats, marching bands,…

The 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo concluded Sunday with with rodeo performances, military appreciations, and Mariachi music at the Elks U…

Michaela Jamison was crowned rodeo queen during Friday night's second performance of the 80th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo.

The Santa Maria Elks Rodeo has a new Queen in Michaela Jamison of VTC Enterprises. A coronation took place Friday night with Jamison winning t…

April Chavez is the Santa Maria City Reporter for the Santa Maria Times. If you have information, or a story idea that you would like to share, send her an email at [email protected].

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