7st Annual PRCA Rodeo

Oakdale Saddle Club

Welcome, Rodeo Fans!

As the Mayor of the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” I would like to join in with the community of Oakdale to welcome our local friends and those coming from afar to participate in the Oakdale Saddle Club’s 71st Annual Rodeo.

As we embrace a week’s worth of activities to celebrate Rodeo, we hope you enjoy the various events leading up to Rodeo weekend. Rodeo contestants, their families and friends travel long distances to participate in our highly respected Oakdale Rodeo.

In addition to the week’s events, Saturday morning starts off with the 9 a.m. parade down F Street to SaveMart.

I’m thrilled to say I have been selected to be the Grand Marshal of this year’s Rodeo Parade.

of Commerce CEO Cherilyn Bairos has issued a warm welcome to rodeo fans and urges everyone to come enjoy the festivities during Rodeo Week in the Cowboy Capital of the World.

As the newly appointed CEO of Oakdale’s Chamber of Commerce and this amazing town’s Mayor, this is truly a dream come true. Bring a chair and get ready to enjoy the parade and all of the events of Rodeo Week. I couldn’t be prouder and more excited for these upcoming events! Look forward to seeing you all!

Come on Oakdale, it’s Rodeo Week!

Always part of the Grand Entry ceremony at the rodeo grounds, members of the Oakdale Saddle Club are proud to present the annual rodeo for the community and visitors from near and far.

Weekend Schedule Serves Up

Fun, Excitement And Competition

Rain or shine, mud or dust, the annual Oakdale Saddle Club PRCA Rodeo takes over the rodeo grounds on the east end of Oakdale from April 7 through April 9, 2023 for the 71st annual event. Here is a look at the schedule for the weekend at the grounds, as well as the annual downtown parade on Saturday morning.

TIMED EVENT SLACK

Friday, April 7 features the first of the weekend’s action at the rodeo grounds starting at 8 a.m.

Admission is $5.

Timed events including team roping, tie down-roping and steer wrestling and Women’s Breakaway Roping will be featured in the morning’s events.

BARREL RACING SLACK

Friday, April 7 following Timed Event Slack.

If speed is what you like, don’t miss the ladies of rodeo in their featured event. Watch these ladies make three turns and bring it home.

OAKDALE RODEO

PARADE

Saturday, April 8, 9 a.m.

Parade Route: Starts on West F Street at Gilbert Avenue, continues down F Street towards South Maag Avenue, ending at the SaveMart Shopping Center.

Price of Admission: Free

The parade features a Grand Marshal, horses, local businesses, bands, classic cars, and much, much more.

PRCA FIRST RODEO PERFORMANCE

Saturday, April 8

Grand Entry 1:30 p.m., followed by exciting rodeo competition in multiple events.

Location: Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo Grounds

Price of Admission: Tickets at the gate, $20 adults, $10 children

OAKDALE RODEO DANCE

Saturday, April 8, 7 p.m.

Location: Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo Grounds - Clubhouse Price of Admission: $10

(This is a 21 and over event only). Tickets sold at the door only.

Each year this is a sellout event, featuring live music, dancing and adult beverages.

COWBOY CHURCH

Sunday, April 9, 10 a.m.

Location: Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo Grounds - Clubhouse Price of Admission: Free Coy Huffman provides an excellent Cowboy Church every year. An opportunity to attend church with some of the world’s top cowboys.

PRCA SECOND RODEO PERFORMANCE

Sunday, April 9 Grand Entry 1:30 p.m., with multiple competitive events to follow.

Location: Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo Grounds

Price of Admission: Tickets at the gate, $20 adults, $10 children Join in and wear pink on this day to support the “Tough Enough To Wear Pink” Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.

Oakdale Mayor and Chamber

Special Publication of The Oakdale Leader, Escalon Times and Riverbank News

Oakdale Saddle Club Traces Roots Back To 1945

Before it became known as the ‘Cowboy Capital of the World’ due to the large number of rodeo champions who chose to make their home here, Oakdale was known as the ‘Clover Capital’ of the world. But with ranching and breeding horses part of the lifeblood of the region, it was back in 1945 that several local horsemen joined together and formed the Oakdale Sad -

dle Club. The club quickly grew to well over 100 members and would go on to purchase acreage on the east end of Oakdale, where the rodeo grounds and clubhouse now sit.

Saddle Club member

Jackie Connor uncovered some history on the first of the competitive events there, competition that ultimately would be the precursor to what we

know today as the PRCA, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, Rodeo. This information, compiled by Connor, is featured on the Saddle Club’s website: “In February 1946, the club set the dates for their first annual Clover Roundup. The event was held May 19, 1946. The roundup consisted of 11 “amateur” events. These events included; Calf

Roping, Bull Riding, Half Mile Race, Saddle Broncs, Trick Horses, Silver Equipment, Stock Horse Class, Bareback Broncs, Fancy Roping, Team Roping and Wild Cow Milking. The cost of each class was $2.50 with first prize varying from $10-$50. At the time, Oakdale’s population was 3,435, yet over 4,500 attended this inaugural event. The top money earner of the day was

Wells Woolstehulm.”

Other events were put on at the grounds over the ensuing years as well, including a professional event put on by John Bowman and John Markham, in 1948, that was known as the Oakdale Stampede.

Connor notes: “John Bowman went on to be a three-time World Champion and was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2013. The Oak-

dale Saddle Club awards a perpetual trophy to each year’s Oakdale Rodeo AllAround Cowboy in honor of John Bowman.” Very much rooted in the past, the annual Oakdale Saddle Club PRCA Rodeo continues to pay homage to the lifestyle and work ethic of cowboys and cowgirls, showcasing their skills in the arena while highlighting the region’s Western heritage.

ABOVE: Rodeo fans turn out every year, whether the annual rodeo is held among raindrops and a muddy arena or sunny skies and unseasonably warm April weather.

RIGHT: There’s an added dimension when rodeo competitors have to deal with rainy weather in the arena; often ending the day caked with mud.

time.

It’s man vs. horse during the saddle bronc competition, with the rider looking to hold on.

Team roping showcases the skills of the header and the heeler, working in tandem to post a good

Getting a good grip in the mud just increases the tough task of bringing the steer under control in the steer wrestling event.

Rodeo Week Photos: Memories From The Past

ABOVE: Musical groups, whether marching or riding along and performing on a float, are a popular part of the Saturday morning rodeo parade, which goes off rain shine, beginning at 9 a.m.

LEFT: Barrel riding is one of the events staged during the weekend, with the ‘ladies of rodeo’ competing for the coveted buckle.

As part of the ceremonies leading up to the competition in the Oakdale Saddle Club rodeo grounds, the riderless horse – to honor those cowboys who have passed during the year – is guided around the arena.

During the week, the Cowgirl Luncheon draws a sellout crowd to the Oakdale Community Center; the cowgirls wining and dining as the cowboys serve up the food and keep the libations flowing.

The colorful Shriners clowns are a regular entry in the annual rodeo parade, delighting the crowd with their vehicles, costumes and antics.