Two weeks ago we posted our pow_wow calendar, this week we publish our rodeo_calendar. If you don't have any specific dates in mind, you can also see an alphabetical list of all the rodeos I know ofhere. Note that, as with the pow wows, it\'s early in the season so some people may not have published their schedules yet. Anything with a 2020 start date means I haven\'t found anything for this year. In these cases,I expect that there will be an event this year but maybe not, smaller rodeos come and go. As with pow wows always check before you start out and have a plan \"B\" just in case. Many rodeos are part of the local county fair. Every county in Oregon has a county fair although not all of them have rodeos. Here is a site that lists the vital statistics for every county fair in Oregon. If you are traveling in Oregon in the summer, I know of no better source of cheap thrills and local color. Just like everything else, the rodeo is changing. Not too long ago ranching meant riding a horse and there was an abundance of riders who had the kind of skills that come only with a lifetime of practice. I keep waiting for rodeos to start featuring events that reflect contemporary ranching. Let today's ranch hands show their skills with various all-terrain vehicles and pickup trucks. Bull riding has become a thing. Originally rodeos featured competitive versions of ranch work: roping, riding, stock handling and the like. Bull riding was never part of anyone\'s job. The bull always wins, winning for the rider means hanging on for 8 seconds. But it provides lots of fast action and now you can see shows that are nothing but bull riding." Just like everything else ranching today is done with ever fewer people and more machines. The population gets thinner, the ranches get bigger and wildlife that once was scarce reasserts itself. There is still plenty of rodeo color and action today but you might want to plan a trip soon. Who knows what the future will bring?