Memories from the Homestead: Prescott, Arizona - home of the world's oldest rodeo

     Last weekend, the Sons of the Pioneers and I made a return visit to one of our favorite venues, the Elks Performing Arts Center in Prescott, Arizona. 

Now first, let's straighten out one thing. The pronunciation. It's pronounced "Prescutt," and as you can see with the spelling, if you ain't from there, you'll more than likely pronounce it like it's spelled. All right, say it with me - "Prescutt." Now that we've got that out of the way, I'm moving on.

Stan Jones wrote a song in 1950 called "Cowpoke" which was soon recorded by Rex Allen, and later Elton Britt and others. In the mid-1950s, the Sons of the Pioneers featured it on a radio transcription broadcast for the Forestry Service with Smokey Bear, Lloyd Perryman soloed it, with three verses, and very quietly accompanied himself on rhythm guitar. Lloyd's version was my introduction to the song and I learned it immediately. Stan wrote a line in verse two, "I'll pick up a ten-spot in Prescott I know, a-ridin' the broncs in the big rodeo."

Tom Mix participated in the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo in 1913 and 1920. (Photo courtesy of Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo)

Well, that big rodeo that Stan mentions is still going strong here in Prescott. This summer, the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo celebrates its 138th year. The first one was July 4, 1888. They didn't call it a "rodeo" back then. They called it a "Cowboy Tournament."  

The first event in 1888 was well organized. A number of local Prescott businessmen all came together, creating the activity and added it to the community's 4th of July activities to try and draw a larger audience. Quite a number of working cowboys and ranchers from the Arizona Territory came to participate in the contest events. Those events consisted of bronco riding, cow horse racing and steer roping. Each cowboy that participated had to use his own horse.  

In the bronco riding contest, the judges had the riders switch horses. Cowboy Juan Leivas won that event in addition to the steer roping contest. In this event, the steer was given a 100-yard head start. Leivas roped and tied the steer in one minute and seventeen seconds. Since he won two out of three events, Leivas was awarded the trophy for "Best Cowboy." A working cowboy from the Date Creek Ranch, located southwest of Prescott, Juan Leivas made history at this event, and his "Best Cowboy" trophy from 1888 is on display here at the Sharlot Hall Museum. 

In 1913 the Prescott event saw a cowboy who would go on to big things. A fellow who had been a U.S. Marshall, a Texas Ranger and movie stunt man, entered two of the rodeo contests. His name was Tom Mix, and he won the bull dogging and steer riding. From there he would see huge success as a Hollywood Western actor in the era of silent films. Mix returned to Prescott and won the bull riding event in 1920.

So, the first rodeo here in 1888 was held in Forbing Park; today that's over by the Watters Garden Center. Other locations where this event have been held was the old city park, now the Ken Lindley Field on East Gurley Street. Since 1913 they've been holding it at the same location, the official rodeo grounds west of Miller Valley Road.

The event has used the word "rodeo" since 1924. In 1985, it was officially named as the "World's Oldest Rodeo." A committee was formed, and believe me, they went back and did their research. They even came up with a list of criteria that had to be met for qualification of the phrase. It was a legal battle, but they pulled it off.

Last year at the 2025 Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo, the weeklong event saw 30,000 fans; many of the top cowboys and cowgirls were participants coming in from 40 states and 15 foreign countries.   

This year's Prescott Frontier Days will run from June 29 through July 5.

 So go back and listen to the great recordings of "Cowpoke" on YouTube; there are some wonderful versions. Only a handful of singers pronounced Prescott correctly in Stan's lyric. Three big name cowboy singers who got it right are none other than Rex Allen, Glen Campbell and yours truly, John Fullerton! 

You can catch mine on the Sons of the Pioneers release, "Red River Valley" from 2022. Can you believe it took this long to finally record it for commercial release?

Happy trails, everyone!