Ranching Roots to Professional Rodeo

Following the settlement of Teton Valley in the late 1800s, tourism and informal competitions among cowboys and cowgirls began to shape the Greater Teton region’s rodeo culture. 

Calf roping, bronc riding, team roping, and novelty races became dude ranch staples for both locals and visitors. By the mid 1900s, county fairs adopted those traditions as organized events—but the growth of livestock competitions didn’t stop there.

Now, the Western rodeo scene is expanding even wider, with a professional contest coming to Driggs this summer.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) will host the Ridgeview Pro Rodeo at the Teton Valley Fairgrounds on June 12 and 13. 

“This is a valley with deep agricultural roots, real working ranches, and people who live the Western way of life every day,”  says Ridgeview Pro Rodeo communications director Jessica Jaubert. “Bringing professional rodeo here is a way to honor that, and to give this community an event that matches the caliber of the place itself.”

Funded and fueled by the Teton Ridge Ranch Foundation, the weekend will feature a series of professional competitors and a concert by Grammy-nominated Midland. 

“This was Thomas Tull's vision,” Jessica says. “He's been passionate about rodeo for years, and having spent a lot of time in Teton Valley, he saw an opportunity to create something that didn't exist here—a professional-level rodeo built around the community, not just dropped into it.”

The nonprofit will not retain any of the event's earnings, instead covering expenses and reinvesting funds back into the community through Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Teton County 4-H. 

“The goal is simple—if the community helps build the rodeo, the rodeo should invest back in the community,” Jessica says.

The Teton Ridge Ranch Foundation has spearheaded upgrades to the fairgrounds over the past years and continues to support the valley’s efforts in keeping Western heritage alive.

With a $25,000 purse on the line, PRCA and WPRA athletes will compete for the chance to take home an impressive check.

Local competitor Cooper Cooke currently sits within the Top 10 of the PRCA bareback riding standings and will compete at the Ridgeview Pro Rodeo in June. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces that I grew up seeing at local rodeos,” Cooper says. “It’s not very often that family and friends get to come watch me do what I love doing. People get to hear the stories of me traveling around and how much fun I have doing so, but now they get to watch it live.”

The Victor native, a two-time qualifier for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), has earned more than $500,000 over the course of his rodeo career.

“I grew up going to the Driggs rodeo when I was young and that was a pretty big part of where I am today,” Cooper said. “The ‘cowboy culture’ is one of the best out there. I've played many sports my whole life and met great people doing them, but to me, there is no other sport in the world that compares to a rodeo family.”

The Teton Valley Rodeo, led by Lane Hillman and Carol Petersen, has long been a cornerstone of eastern Idaho’s rodeo scene. Events run every Friday from June 19 to Aug. 21, with a special showcase on July 4.

“We’re not only trying to make rodeo athletes—we're trying to make responsible young adults,” Lane says. “I've always told people that rodeo never made me a good kid, but it kept me out of a lot of trouble. So if I can do that for a few kids every Friday night and help them become better people—that's the main reason we're still running the rodeos.” 

As professional rodeo arrives in Teton Valley, the competition builds on a century of Western tradition and values. Organizers and athletes alike hope that events like these shape the future of rodeo all while honoring the sport’s roots.

“This event was designed from scratch as a partnership between the Teton Ridge Ranch Foundation and the local community,” Jessica observes. “It's not a touring production; it's homegrown.”

Experience the Teton Valley Rodeo

Wondering when and where to catch the Teton Valley Rodeo? The show runs every Friday from June 19 to Aug. 21 at the Teton County Fairgrounds in Driggs, Idaho. Adult tickets are $15 and kids tickets are $10.

The Ridgeview Pro Rodeo—Driggs’ first professional rodeo—comes to town on June 12 and 13 at the Teton County Fairgrounds in Driggs, Idaho. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the show beginning at 7 p.m. On Saturday evening following the rodeo, Grammy-nominated country band Midland will perform. Tickets are on sale now at ridgeviewprorodeo.com