Cowboys, cowgirls saddle up for 2025 Long Beach Rodeo

Published 1:05 am Thursday, July 24, 2025

Where can you find mechanical bull-riding, barrel races, steer wrestling, roping, good eats and Pacific Northwest artisans all in one place?

At the Peninsula Saddle Club’s 78th annual Long Beach Rodeo.

The oldest rodeo on the Washington Coast, it promises “fun for everybody,” says Tery Pierson, a board member of 20-plus years. She grew up riding horses, as did her daughter, who is now 25, and helping out with the Long Beach Rodeo turned into a long-time family custom. “It’s fun to keep the tradition going, keep rodeo happening.”

This year’s event will take place on July 26, and July 27. While the official Northwest Professional Rodeo events start at 1 p.m. on both days, event organizers encourage attendees to arrive early to find parking and good seats. The gates open at 11 a.m. 

Even before that, event-goers can participate in the Cowboy Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on both days. Eggs, ham, and pancakes are on the menu at the clubhouse, and on July 27, there’s the chance to watch the overflow cowboys and cowgirls run in Slack until the rodeo begins.

William “Bull” Demers is returning this year as the announcer, and he will be joined by George Kinter as the Rodeo Clown. The event will feature top cowboys and cowgirls in the Northwest competing in bareback, saddle bronc, bull riding, breakaway roping, calf roping, team roping and steer wrestling.

According to Pierson, they are also one of the only rodeos that has a barrel race for local kids, with two age categories.

On the evening of July 26, after the main rodeo events, people can stay afterward for family night. Kids can compete at barrel racing — stick-horse style — and participate in other arena games. 

When not observing rodeo events, attendees can grab a bite to eat from several local food vendors, enjoy a drink in the beer garden, or check out artisan goods, including cowboy hats, jewelry and souvenir T-shirts and sweatshirts.

Board president Bill Beadle — who joined the saddle club about eight years ago with his wife, Linda — will be walking around to meet and mingle with those in attendance. “Come and support the saddle club,” he says. “This is our biggest event.”

History

The nonprofit Peninsula Saddle Club was established in the 1940s, with a mission to “to promote good fellowship among the horsemen of the Long Beach Peninsula, to assist in community affairs, and to bring favorable publicity to this part of the country.” The club’s original trustees, elected in 1949, were Mark Urban Jr., J.T. Wright, John Sacks, Jack Nyberg and M.S. Poe.

From its early days of amateur round-ups and pony express races down the beach, local interest in horsemanship continued to grow and membership in the saddle club continued to increase, according to the website. In 1951, rodeo events were added to the festivities.

The longevity of the rodeo has made it an endearing tradition for many families and participants, including the professional competitors.

“Some of the cowboys who come here, their grandfather came here and rode, their dad came here and rode,” Pierson says.

She’s witnessed the positive character traits cultivated into the rodeo world, including responsibility and dependability. And for the professional riders, it’s more than a pastime; it’s a vocation. They are there to earn points that go toward their records with the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association (NPRA).

According to Pierson, there are three NPRA events taking place in the region during the same weekend, with Long Beach often being the last stop after the ones in Longview, Wash., and Madras, Ore. Sometimes, the pros are pulling into the grounds in the early morning hours to be on time for their competitions. 

“They’re on a mission,” she says. “They’re here to get their job done. … That’s what they do.” For the audience, that means getting to watch some high-quality sportsmanship, which is very exciting, she adds.

While the rodeo had to take a short hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, they came back stronger than ever in terms of attendance, according to Beadle.

“We’ve had more people than I’ve ever seen,” he says. “We get them from all over. Not just locals. Everybody likes coming to the beach.”

He estimates the capacity at the rodeo is about 2,000, and they’ve sold out of tickets the past three years. “People enjoy it,” he says.

Tradition

The saddle club plans to continue organizing the rodeo, but there is also a pressing desire to grow membership to make the event more sustainable and support other club tasks. Currently, the numbers have dwindled and there are very few young participants.

“I’m just wishing we had more involvement to put on more activities,” Pierson says, especially since the group has a quality arena and beautiful grounds to offer. “I wish we had the young blood.”

Beadle agrees, adding, “We’ve got 30 members, but we’re getting older. We’ve got to get younger members in to keep this going.”

In the meantime, the long-term members are pulling off the beloved rodeo, year after year, with substantial help from community volunteers and sponsors. The main sponsors for the 2025 rodeo are Astoria Ford and Woody Septic Specialties.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for children 6 to 12, and free admission for children 5 and younger. They are available at the gate, or can be purchased in advance at the Peninsula Pharmacy in Long Beach. Parking at the event is free, but limited. 

For more information, visit peninsulasaddleclub.com.

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78th annual Long Beach Rodeo

6407 Sandridge Road, Long Beach.

Gates open 11 a.m., rodeo events 1 p.m. July 26-27.

Family night games July 27 after rodeo.

Downtown parade 6:30 p.m. July 25.

Cowboy breakfast 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. July 26 and July 27.

Admission, $20 adults; $15 seniors; children 6-12, $10; children 5 and under, free.

Information, peninsulasaddleclub.com