Welcome to the Greatest Show on Dirt!

Take a ride on the wild side at Vernal’s Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo powered by BHI! Vernal’s Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo is one of the best professional rodeos in North America today and one of the largest events in the Uintah Basin. Our rodeo has been nominated eight times as one of the top five large outdoor rodeos in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. In 2024, we are proud to be a part of the PRCA Playoff Series and have our event televised on the Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel Plus app!

Our rodeo traces its roots back 100 years to 1924 when the rodeo was known as the Golden West Days. Throughout the years, the name changed a few times: the Blue Mountain Rodeo, the Uintah Basin Rodeo, the Vernal Rodeo, the Vernal Professional Rodeo, the Vernal Championship Rodeo, and finally, as it has been known for over 60 years, Vernal’s Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo. Our rodeo was sanctioned as a professional rodeo for the first time in 1950 and has been a premier rodeo on the professional circuit every year since then.

Over the years, many of the top cowboys and cowgirls have won titles at Vernal’s Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo during their World Championship and Hall of Fame careers. Some of these champions include Lewis Field, Bruce Ford, Marvin Garrett, Mark Garrett, Will Lowe, Ote Berry, Jake Barnes, Clay O’Brien Cooper, Allen Bach, Mike Beers, Speed Williams, Rich Skelton, Tom Reeves, Robert Etbauer, Glen O’Neill, Dan Mortensen, Jesse Wright, Guy Allen, Joe Beaver, Fred Whitfield, Cody Ohl, Trevor Brazile, Stran Smith, Marcos Costa, Ryan Jarrett, Tyson Durfey, Tuf Cooper, Sherry Cervi, Lane Frost, Terry Don West, Cody Hancock, J.B. Mauney, Sage Kimzey, and Stetson Wright.

This year we expect to host over 600 professional rodeo contestants from all across the world, with World Champions in every event. These top athletes will showcase their talents on the best bucking horses and bulls from Powder River Rodeo and D&H Cattle. To entertain the crowd and provide comic relief, we welcome award-winning rodeo clown and NFR barrelman, John Harrison. World-class and National Finals Rodeo announcer Roger Mooney will once again call the rodeo action. For the second straight year, Cowboy Kenny’s Steel Rodeo Tour will be the grand finale to each night’s entertainment, with high-flying freestyle motocross action!

Thursday night is known as “Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night” in support of the fight against cancer. Everyone is encouraged to wear pink. The Grand Entry will pay tribute to the great efforts our com­munity puts forth in fighting this disease. The wild west event for Thursday night will be Wild Cow Milking.

Friday night is the night we honor our rodeo and western heritage. We will recognize our 2022 Legendary Cowboy, Claude Crozier, and present him with a set of commemorative spurs. We will also recognize the community leaders that have helped keep our rodeo traditions strong in the Uintah Basin. We’ll be bringing back the Donkey Racing for our Friday Wild West Event.

Saturday night is Patriot Night where we honor the men and women whose sacrifice has kept this great country free and our communities safe. A special flag ceremony with 14 riders on horseback will salute veterans, active military personnel, and first responders. The Wild West Event for Saturday night is bubble ball bull racing!

This event would not be possible without the incredible support from our community. The committee would like to thank all the sponsors, volunteers, community leaders, and fans for their support of this year’s rodeo. It is truly a community event that you do not want to miss.