Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo

June 9 - 11, 2011

Celebrating our 81st Anniversary

  Cortez Colorado

History of the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo

The Ute Mountain Roundup’s heritage traces back to a rodeo that was started around the end of World War I.  That rodeo was part of the county fair, held in September each year on what is now the football field at the Cortez Middle School, at the junction of highways 491 and 160.  The rodeo was held there every year until about 1930.

In 1930, the fair and the rodeo were moved to land on North Garfield Street that had been donated for that purpose to the American Legion.  Shortly after that move, the rodeo was separated from the county fair and began to be held in June of each year.  The rodeo became the Ute Mountain Roundup and was operated by the Cortez American Legion.

The rodeo was elevated to a higher level in 1960 when it was first sanctioned by the Rodeo Cowboys Association, now known as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

In December of 2005, the ground on which the Ute Mountain Roundup had been held for seventy five years was sold and so the Ute Mountain Roundup moved again.  This time, the rodeo came under a new non-profit corporation, the Ute Mountain Roundup, Inc.  This newly formed entity, with a board of local businesspersons and a committee of local rodeo fans, competitors, supporters and volunteers, moved the rodeo to the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.