Standout bull rider Jordan Spears takes to the air in a breathtaking performance at the High Desert Stampede. This year’s rodeo overlaps with the Central Oregon Ag Show on April 6, allowing visitors to visit the ag show on their way to the rodeo.

Go to the Central Oregon Ag Show and the Small Farm School on Saturday, April 6 — and see the High Desert Stampede rodeo action afterward.

This just may be the perfect day.

“We strive to recognize and give a nod to the Western way of life that established Central Oregon, and I think the ag show is going to help us deliver on some of the community involvement that we were not expecting to see for several more years,” High Desert Stampede Board Member Chad Morris said.

Tickets to the rodeo are available at https://highdesertstampede.com.

Admission to the ag show, which is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 6, is free of charge, and tickets to the Small Farm School are available at https://schoolofranch.regfox.com/4-6-23-small-farm-school.

For those who can’t make it Saturday, the ag show continues from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7.

Unlike most rodeos, the High Desert Stampede has operated as a start-up since its inception in 2015.

“Typical rodeos, especially PRCA rodeos, have long traditions going back 75 or 100 years, so to be young is very unusual,” Morris said. “Our board of directors is composed of business owners, not necessarily rodeo athletes or those who came up in rodeo, and so we operate a little differently.”

For one thing, the Stampede takes its lead from the National Finals Rodeo by keeping side shows and specialty acts to a minimum.

“We focus on the athletes and the animal athletes that we’re bringing to town,” Morris said. “We feature them and get them into the arena one after the other as quickly as we can so that we’re entertaining and presenting the rodeo product more than trying to fill time.”

This year’s High Desert Stampede starts April 3 and continues through April 6 at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo First Interstate Bank Center.

The Stampede is locally produced by a seven-person committee and dozens of volunteers whose goal is to bring the biggest names in rodeo to Central Oregon and to provide a top-tier performance that draws people into Central Oregon from out of the area.

For the first time, the rodeo is kicking off Wednesday night with a full night of Xtreme Bull Riding, when folks can witness 40 of the top bull riders in the country compete for a one-night purse of $20,000 added money.

As part of the PRCA NFR Playoff Series, the Stampede delivers top quality livestock versus world champion-quality athletes every night.

The Stampede was recognized as one of the country’s best rodeo experiences in 2019 with the Medium Rodeo of the Year award for all of the Columbia River Circuit.

Expect to be entertained by the best barrel man in the business, JJ Harrison, world class livestock by Bridwell Pro Rodeos and engaging action. This world-class professional production will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Each performance includes traditional rodeo events such as bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping and barrel racing in a fast-paced rodeo performance that includes the popular Women’s Professional Breakaway Roping.