The oldest rodeo in Nevada, Elko’s Silver State Stampede was founded in 1912 by world renowned saddle maker, G.S. Garcia, and is still going strong over a century later. What began as a community gathering and competition for local ranch cowboys has evolved into the fast-paced, multi-faceted professional rodeo event it is today.
The Stampede joined the PRCA in 1988 and has grown steadily since then. The Stampede is quite fittingly the only PRCA rodeo to award highly-coveted, handmade Garcia spurs to event winners. With the help of its dedicated sponsors, the Stampede has also increased added money 156% since 2021 and now offers $15,000 added money per event. The total payout in 2024 was $180,675.
This has served to position the Stampede among the top-paying 60 rodeos out of approximately 790 total PRCA-sanctioned events. The recently boosted payout amounts have also helped secure the rodeo a spot in the elite NFR Playoff Series. Depending on how the calendar falls each year, the Stampede is usually held the second weekend of July, often making it a convenient stop for competitors on the road for the “Cowboy Christmas” run.
Since 2022, the stock contractor for the Stampede has been the award-winning Frontier Rodeo Company. Their outstanding broncs and bulls help bring some of the biggest names in professional bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riding to Elko. The Stampede also boasts a packed timed-event roster, with a long list of slack contestants in addition to the three rodeo performances that are broadcast on the Cowboy Channel.
The Stampede also features unique special awards. Sponsored by the family of Stampede board president, Pat Laughlin, a “Top Gun” award is given to the Nevada contestant earning the most money during the three-day event. The winner receives a rifle in memory of Pat’s father, Mike Laughlin, a long-time supporter of the Stampede and western lifestyles in general.
Starting in 2024, the Trenten Montero Memorial awards a custom bronze sculpted by Utah-based artist, Jeff Wolf, to the winner of the bareback riding. The bronze is beautifully styled after one of Montero’s best rides, and honors the late Winnemucca, Nevada cowboy, who sustained fatal injuries in the arena at the Homedale, Idaho rodeo in August 2023. In the award’s inaugural year, the Stampede board presented a bronze not only to the bareback riding winner, Kade Sonnier, but also to Trenten’s parents and to his widow and son. Artist Jeff Wolf was on-site for the touching presentation of the bronzes. The Stampede also auctioned a custom-designed gun case with the proceeds benefitting the Trenten Montero Foundation, a 501(c)(3) founded to support professional rodeo cowboys whose medical costs from competition injuries exceed their insurance coverage. Additionally, all proceeds from the sale of the rodeo’s annual commemorative poster benefitted the Foundation.
In addition to PRCA events and awards, the Stampede also hosts mutton busting and mini-bull riding for young, up-and-coming rodeo stars, and the always thrilling Ring of Fear event. For rodeo fans, a well-rounded Stampede experience extends beyond the arena with a parade, kick-off concert, trade show, dances with live music following the Friday and Saturday rodeo performances, and a free mechanical bull for kids to ride.
The Stampede has almost certainly bloomed far beyond any expectations G.S. Garcia may have had, but at its heart, hasn’t strayed far from its humble beginnings. The Stampede is a steadfast supporter of numerous local organizations, and each year, honors a local citizen as Grand Marshall.
The 113th Silver State Stampede is scheduled for July 11, 12, and 13, 2025. Tickets will be available online starting May 1, 2025. Learn more at www.silverstatestampede.com, and follow them on facebook and Instagram.
Donate to the Trenten Montero Foundation via www.trentenmontero.com
Photography by: Wild Red Rodeo
Article written by: Becky Prunty Lisle
