80th Roundup bringing some of the old west

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 7:00pm

Weiser’s Fred Hust Arena has been abuzz with a number of contests leading up to the 80th annual Weiser Valley Roundup. Above, Klete Cook, left, and Kash Cobb are pictured during the Kathy Skow Memorial Team Roping, where local teams compete for spots in the rodeo’s nightly performances. Photo by Nancy Grindstaff

Maddy Rambo is pictured competing in the novice barrel racing qualifiers held at the Fred Hust Arena, Thursday, June 26. Photo by Nancy Grindstaff
By: 
Nancy Grindstaff
It’s rodeo season all across Idaho, and the 80th Weiser Valley Roundup is gearing up to run July 10-12, promising three nights of exciting rodeo action in another Idaho Cowboys Association Sanctioned Prime rodeo.
 The Roundup board has worked intently to pull together not only a tight and entertaining nightly performance, but will be hosting a Saturday morning, July 12, $7 Buckaroo Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Weiser Activity Center for Seniors located at 115 East Main Street. Board members will be assisted by the 2025 WVR Queen Jayden Ashbaugh, along with the 2026 WVR Queen contestants, Emily Travers, Felicity Bequette, and Ava Jackson. 
 The queen contest has been running for the past month, with in-person interviews, modeling, and a judged horsemanship competition at the Fred Hust Arena on Saturday, June 28. The young women have been seen representing the rodeo in area parades during that time, as well.
 Pre-rodeo events will start at 7 p.m. each evening, full of mutton busting fun, wild cow milking, and junior bull riding. Those event entries opened on June 15, and according to WVR’s information, all spots in the junior bull riding were reportedly filled by June 22.
 Rodeo fans will be treated to a grand entry filled with flags representing all of the rodeo’s sponsors and each carried in on horseback, and five American flags as the centerpiece of the presentation.
 After rodeo performance concerts on Friday and Saturday nights have been added to the schedule, as well. 
 Featuring country western and classic rock music both nights, Buckin’ Country is set for Friday night, and Weiser’s own Station 35 will perform Saturday night.
 The Fred Hust Arena has been alive with activity leading into the 2025 rodeo.
 Pee Wee, Junior, and Novice barrel racers competed in a time qualifier on Thursday, June 26, with the top nine finishers in each division now set to compete on at least one of the three nights. Serious about the sport, a number of contestants competed more than once with different horses, giving them a chance to qualify for a second rodeo performance.
 In the rodeo’s novice barrel racing competition, look for Mackenzie Sprague, Clair Walker (twice), Jayden Ashbaugh, Justice Payne, Macki Winkles, Hazie Woodland, Felicity Bequette, and Josie Jett Warrick.
 Earning spots on the roster in the junior division are: Lilly Briggs, Jewels Hearold, Sasha Whittles, Abbie Rollins (twice), Piper Rand, Kayzlee Young, and Jocelyn Glasco.
 In Pee Wees (ages 8 and under): Gage Ashbaugh (twice), Addison Hopkins, Madi Ingram, Dalli Jo Cobb (twice), Dakota Lewis, and Tace Lancaster (twice).
 Activity at the Fred Hust Arena carried over into Friday evening, June 27, with an assortment of youth and adult team ropers competing for rodeo performance spots in the third annual Kathy Skow Memorial Roping. Well-known in Washington County’s agricultural community, Skow was a long time supporter of youth, both in athletics and in the area’s 4-H and FFA organizations. 
 After her passing as the result of an accident on the ranch, the roping was established as a combined event to qualify local roping teams for the Weiser Valley Roundup and a fundraiser  for add-on monies to be divided equally among 4-H and FFA members at the Washington County Fair livestock sale.
 Six youth roping teams qualified for the 2025 WVR. In Thursday night’s performance, fans will see Hazie Woodland and Hannah Moyle, and then Josie Jett Warrick and Moyle on the roster. Friday night’s youth teams will be Monte Ingram and Ty Cobb, and then Ingram and Trevin Moser. Competing on Saturday night will be Warrick and Kash Cobb, and Cruz Trevino and K. Cobb.
 Four teams of adult team roping qualifiers will compete during each night’s performance, as well. Thursday night holds Joel Maxwell and Dillon Laun; Laraine Harrison and Sam Lancaster; Jackson Flin and Lancaster; and Matt Cobb and Luke York. 
 Friday night: Cole Bunker and Laun; Maxwell and York; Bunker and Jesse Whitener; and Callie Jo Arriola and York. Saturday night’s final performance includes McKenzie Sprague and Tyler Woodland; M. Cobb and Cameron Self; Woodland and Dave Moyle; and Bunker and Self.
 Performances in ICA sanctioned events include bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, ranch bronc riding, tie down roping, breakaway roping, team roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and bull riding.
 With admission at $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6 to 12, and free for 5 and under, it might be worth going more than one night.
 

 

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Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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