Last Stand Rodeo back for 72nd year

COULEE CITY — The PRCA Last Stand Rodeo returns for its 72nd outing this May, hosted at the Coulee City Rodeo Grounds. 

The three-day rodeo is hosted over Memorial Day weekend, beginning the night of May 24.

“The only year we didn’t have the rodeo was the year Mount St. Helens blew and the COVID year,” said Pete Thiry, president of the Coulee City Rodeo Association.

Rodeo attendees can expect a full weekend of events.

“We’ve got a full rodeo,” Thiry said. “We’re bareback riding, saddle bronc, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, steer roping, girls breakaway roping and girls barrel racing. We do mutton busting and that kind of thing as well.

In addition to the rodeo events, other events over the rodeo weekend are the Cowboy Breakfast on May 25; the Cowpie Jog, a 3.5-mile fun run May 25; the Main Street Parade on May 25; and rodeo after parties May 24 and 25.

The Last Stand Rodeo received Small Rodeo of the Year honors from the Columbia River Circuit in 2014, 2017 and 2023, and a top-five Small Rodeo Committee of the Year by the PRCA in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

“That’s an award that is voted on by the rodeo contestants and rodeo personnel,” Thiry said. “We haven’t won it, we’ve been nominated five times – we’ve been a top-five nominee, which is pretty good.”

Thiry said that added money increased by $500 for this year’s rodeo, totaling up to $3,000 per event.

“We’ve increased our added money, so we’re a medium rodeo now,” Thiry said. “So, we’ll see how it goes.”

Back again for another year is Shelby Pierson, a trick rider from Alberta.

Thiry estimated the rodeo had about 320 contestants last summer, with each contestant competing in their event once. 

“We expect probably about the same,” Thiry said.

For tickets, or more information on the rodeo and other events, visit laststandrodeo.com.

    Haley Proctor takes a turn around the ring at the 2021 Coulee City PRCA Last Stand Rodeo.