PRORODEO Sports News - February 7, 2025

Saddle bronc rider Denton Mars pairs with Salt Riv er Rodeo’s Hitchin Post for an 83.5-point trip during the 2024 Yuma (Ariz.) Silver Spur Rodeo. PRCA Photo by Reed Settle

In February 2020, the Yuma Silver Spur Rodeo was one of the last rode os to take place before the COVID-19 pandemic shut much of the world down. When restrictions were eased in 2021, Yuma’s organizers con densed the planning process from an entire year to just three months. It’s the only time the rodeo has taken place outside of February in 80 years as the schedule shifted to April, but it ensured the consecutive years streak would go uninterrupted. The reason to pull off the feat was simple – the people of Yuma. When the ticket portal opens, current chair Josh Opie likes to see where the bulk of purchases are coming from. Yes,

there are plenty of visitors from across the United States and even the world, but a lot of purchases come from locals, particularly farming operations who want to support the event, provide tickets to their crews and celebrate Yuma’s history. Putting on an event the entire area supports continues to be a point of pride for Opie and his dedicated crew, one that has eight decades of tradition backing it up. “It’s not just an us thing – it’s a community thing. It’s all about the people,” Opie said.

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