Vandal Rodeo Returns To The Palouse

For the first time in more than a decade, the University of Idaho hosted a rodeo.  Jamie Slocum, a coach on the Rodeo Club, helped organize U of I’s previous rodeo as an athlete in the spring of 2011.  When she became a coach earlier this year, she set a goal of resurrecting a local rodeo.

“I feel like we shook out the cobwebs and learned a lot on how to make this happen, and I think we can make this a yearly event,” Slocum said.

The weekend event, which took place October 12th-13th, was the first event of the season for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s (NIRA) Northwest Region, which includes collegiate teams in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California and British Columbia. 

“We have some pretty good competitors who we added to the team this year,” Slocum said. “The fact that our numbers are up and our members are competing in almost every event gives us really good standing.” 

The U of I has grown its club to include a dozen competing members, both men and women, all from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.  They participated in barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway roping, team roping, bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling.  And several club members plan to expand into additional events later in the season.

The rodeo event took place Saturday and Sunday, at the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds in Colfax, WA.  The U of I rodeo provides another event during which the region’s competitors will have the opportunity to earn points toward qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming. This year’s Vandal rodeo team includes two women who qualified for nationals last year.

Club members practice weekly at Slocum’s personal arena at her home in nearby Palouse, WA. 

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