cowtown rodeo

What cowtown rodeo does

Cowtown Rodeo operates the longest-running weekly professional rodeo in the United States from a 4,000-seat arena in Pilesgrove, New Jersey. Founded in 1929 by Howard Harris Sr. and his son Howard 'Stoney' Harris Jr., and revived as a weekly event in 1955 by Howard 'Baldy' Harris, the business is now in its fifth generation of family ownership under Katy Harris Griscom and her husband RJ Griscom. Each season the venue runs 19 consecutive Saturday night PRCA-sanctioned rodeos from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September, each featuring seven standard disciplines (Bull Riding, Steer Wrestling, Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Barrel Racing, Tie Down Roping, and Team Roping), plus Xtreme Bulls all-bull-riding special events.

The company's competitive backbone is a proprietary bucking stock breeding program whose horse lineage traces to the 1970s and whose bulls include prior PRCA Bucking Bull of the Year winners (1984-1985) and 2025 National Finals Rodeo competitors Kingdom, Orbit, and Fire Magic. This genetic asset is the most defensible technical component of the business and is not easily replicated by competitors. The arena itself is a 1967 capital asset that would be costly to reproduce. Operations run rain-or-shine, with food vendors (cash-only), an on-site gift shop (Cowtown Cowboy Outfitters), and a YETI merchandise trailer operating on event nights.

Revenue is generated from tiered ticketing (individual admissions $12-$28, group rates for 25+ at $22/$10, $425 season tickets, $350/night Xtreme Bulls box seats, $25 military discount), on-site retail (YETI/Cowtown merchandise, gift shop), food concessions, and corporate sponsorships with YETI, Boot Barn, Cinch, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Serratelli Hat Company, and local businesses. Distribution runs through the company's own website, rodeoticket.com for online advance sales, gate sales on event nights, and broadcast partnerships with Cowboy Channel and RodeoNow. Customer segments span general public/families, group events, premium box-seat customers, and military/first responders, with marketing driven by organic social (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram), email, and word-of-mouth rather than paid acquisition.

Name

cowtown rodeo

Legal name

Cowtown Rodeo

Website

https://cowtownrodeo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cowtown Rodeo operates the longest-running weekly professional rodeo in the United States from a 4,000-seat arena in Pilesgrove, New Jersey, hosting 19 weekly PRCA-sanctioned events each May-through-September season, plus Xtreme Bulls specials, serving families, groups, and premium box-seat customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Rodeo Entertainment

NAICS

Horses and Other Equine Production (11292), Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming (112111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Equestrian & Rodeo Facilities (MPAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Professional rodeo events
• Live rodeo entertainment
• PRCA sanctioned rodeo
• Rodeo ticket sales
• Rodeo merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Pilesgrove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for weekly rodeo events, Xtreme Bulls special events, and season tickets. Individual tickets range from $12-$28, with season tickets at $425 and premium box seats available.
2. Food and Refreshments: Food vendors sell hot sandwiches, snacks, drinks, peanuts, cotton candy, popcorn, and funnel cakes. Food vendors accept cash only.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sales of YETI merchandise (coolers, tumblers, can coolers), Cowtown Rodeo souvenirs, and western apparel through the Cowboy Outfitters Gift Shop and YETI Merchandise Trailer.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from companies including YETI, Boot Barn, Cinch, Tito's Vodka, and local businesses that receive brand visibility at the venue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cowtown Rodeo operates a live, weekly professional rodeo venue in Pilesgrove, New Jersey, hosting 19 Saturday-night rodeos each season from Memorial Day weekend through late September, plus Xtreme Bulls special events. The company sells admission tickets, on-site concessions, merchandise, gift cards, and group/season ticket packages at a 4,000-seat purpose-built arena. The business is PRCA-sanctioned and runs a proprietary bucking stock breeding program that supplies nationally competitive bulls and horses.

Product overview

Cowtown Rodeo operates as a live entertainment venue offering professional rodeo events. The core product is the weekly Saturday night professional rodeo, which has run continuously since 1955 and is claimed to be the longest running weekly professional rodeo in the USA. The 2026 season spans 19 weeks from Memorial Day weekend through late September. Supporting products include XTREME BULLS special events (all-professional bull riding), ticketing options (general admission, season tickets, box seats, and group rates), food and retail (YETI merchandise and Cowtown Cowboy Outfitters gift shop), and gift cards. The rodeo is PRCA-sanctioned and part of the First Frontier Rodeo Circuit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Weekly Rodeo Events Weekly Saturday-night professional rodeo featuring 7 standard PRCA-sanctioned events (Bull Riding, Steer Wrestling, Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Barrel Racing, Tie Down Roping, Team Roping) running Memorial Day weekend through late September. Targeted at families and individuals seeking authentic American rodeo entertainment.
• XTREME BULLS Special Events All-professional bull riding special events featuring PRCA bull riders from across the country, held as 2-day events during the regular season with gates opening at 6:00 pm and showtime at 7:30 pm.
• General Admission Tickets Date-specific general admission tickets for any rodeo event. Adults (13+) $28, children (3-12) $12, infants (0-2) free.
• Season Tickets Season ticket valid for all 19 regular Saturday-night rodeos at $425 per person, representing a 20% discount over individual admission (savings of $106). Not valid on Xtreme Bulls dates.
• Box Seats Premium reserved box seating for Xtreme Bulls events at $350 per night, including 10 tickets per box.
• Group Tickets Discounted group tickets for parties of 25 or more, available only in person at the ticket booth. Adults $22 (down from $28), children $10 (down from $12).
• Cowtown Cowboy Outfitters Gift Shop On-site gift shop open every rodeo night selling hats, boots, and western souvenirs. Accepts cash and credit cards.
• YETI Merchandise Trailer On-site trailer selling YETI coolers, tumblers, can coolers, drinkware, and CTRodeo souvenirs with Cowtown Rodeo monogrammed logo.
• Food and Concession Vendors On-site food vendors (including Rodeo-Lapps) selling hot sandwiches, snacks, drinks, Original Cowtown Peanuts, candied nuts, cotton candy, popcorn, and funnel cakes. Cash only.
• Gift Cards Online gift cards in customer-chosen amounts, redeemable for any rodeo date or at the Cowtown Rodeo YETI Merchandise Trailer.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72nd consecutive year of operation as the longest-running weekly professional rodeo in the USA

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• YETIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerYETI is a major sponsor providing merchandise trailers at the venue. They sell YETI products including coolers, tumblers, and can coolers with Cowtown Rodeo branding. The partnership provides premium merchandise options for attendees.
• Boot BarncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoot Barn is a western apparel retailer and sponsor, providing brand visibility and potentially cross-promotional opportunities.
• CinchcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCinch is a western jeans brand that sponsors Cowtown Rodeo, providing brand visibility at events.
• Tito's Handmade VodkacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTito's is a spirits sponsor providing brand visibility and potentially product availability at events.
• Serratelli Hat CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWestern hat manufacturer and sponsor providing brand visibility.
• Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRCA is the governing body that sanctions Cowtown Rodeo events. The rodeo is part of the First Frontier Rodeo Circuit. All events follow PRCA guidelines and rules.
• Cowboy ChannelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcast partner for rodeo content and coverage.
• RodeoNowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital platform partner for rodeo content and ticketing support.
• Cowtown Farmers MarketminorOthersAdjacent property sharing arrangement for parking. The parking lot is shared with the Farmers Market, which typically clears by 4:00 PM before rodeo events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cheyenne Frontier Days: One of the largest and most storied annual professional rodeos in the United States, operating a multi-day frontier-days event in Wyoming. Highly comparable to Cowtown as a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo with deep heritage and a destination-style event model, though at a much larger scale.
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: The world's largest livestock exhibition and rodeo, drawing millions annually. Comparable to Cowtown as a PRCA-sanctioned professional rodeo operation with concessions, merchandise, and major sponsorship monetization, but operating at a dramatically larger scale.
• Pendleton Round-Up: Iconic annual PRCA-sanctioned rodeo in Oregon with deep heritage and destination event positioning. Directly comparable to Cowtown in rodeo format, heritage-driven brand value, and Western Americana positioning.
• National Western Stock Show: Major Denver-based annual livestock show and rodeo with PRCA-sanctioned events. Comparable to Cowtown as a professionally sanctioned rodeo and livestock event venue with broad entertainment, concessions, and merchandise programming.

Direct peers

• Reno Rodeo: Self-styled 'Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West,' a long-running annual PRCA-sanctioned professional rodeo with comparable ticket, sponsorship, and merchandise monetization. Smaller than the major stock shows but operationally similar to Cowtown's seasonal rodeo format.
• Sisters Rodeo: Oregon-based annual PRCA-sanctioned rodeo with a comparable small-rodeo operating model. Similar to Cowtown in scale, community-based family event positioning, and PRCA-sanctioned event programming.
• Caldwell Night Rodeo: Idaho-based weekly summer PRCA-sanctioned professional rodeo. Highly comparable to Cowtown as a small-scale weekly professional rodeo with a similar seasonal format, capacity profile, and family-oriented entertainment positioning.
• Frontier Rodeo Company: One of the largest bucking stock contractors in professional rodeo, supplying bulls and broncs to major PRCA events including the National Finals Rodeo. Comparable to Cowtown's proprietary bucking stock breeding program and its role as a stock supplier to elite PRCA competitions.
• Ellensburg Rodeo: Long-running Washington-state Labor Day weekend PRCA-sanctioned rodeo. Directly comparable to Cowtown as a heritage-driven professional rodeo event with similar event format, family ownership, and regional destination positioning.
• California Rodeo Salinas: One of the top 20 professional rodeos in the United States, held annually in Salinas, California. Comparable to Cowtown in PRCA-sanctioned event programming, ticket and sponsorship monetization, and Western heritage branding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCndm4NxMIUjUn4WKFZe30aQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/cowtownrodeo
• Instagraminstagram.com/cowtownrodeonj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cowtown-flea-market

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about cowtown rodeo