The Rancho Mission Viejo (RMV) Rodeo is turning 20 this month and this year’s event will take place on August 27th and 28th. The event will be held in San Juan Capistrano at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, also known as The Ranch, and as always, funds raised will support families in need.
Since its inception, the Rodeo has steered in over $2.6 million in its cowboy tradition of ‘passing the hat,’ which supports sick children and those down on their luck in the area. A few of the local charities fortunate enough to rope in funds are the San Juan Capistrano Boys and Girls Club, CHOC at Mission Hospital, and the Shea Therapeutic Riding Center.
Country artist Brantley Gilbert said, “It ain’t where, it’s how you live. We weren’t raised to take, but to give the shirt off our back to anyone in need.” That is the core of RMV, whose mission is to help preserve this wild tradition, pay tribute to the sport and the heritage of the land, and to raise funds for deserving charities.
PHOTO Courtesy of Annie Noebel (Cornerstone)
The Ranch has an exciting line-up this year and will offer seven events: saddle bronc riding, bull riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, and break-away roping. There will be a variety of vendors, food trucks, and a children’s area for your little chaps. Singer songwriter Daisy Sellas will be back in her ole stomping grounds of Southern California when she performs at The Ranch on Saturday, August 27th.
After two years off due to the pandemic, The Ranch will welcome more than 10,000 fans to watch the RMV Rodeo. The top 30 brave athletes from across the land will compete for a pot of money totaling over $300,000, and ultimately a chance to win the grand prize at the Nationals Final Rodeo in Las Vegas. These cowboys and cowgirls will give their blood, sweat, and tears to be one of the top 15 competitors in Vegas.
The patriotism and integrity of these rodeo athletes is simply their way of life, yet it’s inspiring and uplifting. Author Carly Kade said it best: “Training horses, heck, riding horses, isn’t easy. Falling is part of the process. It’s how you brush yourself off and get back in the saddle that counts the most. There’s beauty in the breakdown. Everything is about balance.” There’s a piece of advice for all areas of life.
Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo
2oth Anniversary
August 27 & 28, 2022
I’ve been going to the rodeo since I was a little girl, and it’s one of my favorite pastimes. My great-grandmother lived next door to a rodeo arena and my sister and I would play in the chutes, pretending to be bull riders. When the rodeo was taking place, you’d find us anxiously waiting for the calf scramble and holding our breath when a cowboy was kicked off his horse or bull.
If you have never been to a rodeo before, it’s an American tradition you need to experience as often as possible. Grab your tickets and head on out to The Ranch: make some memories while helping out local charities.
