Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SPECTATOR SPORTS
Rodeo
Most communities in Montana and Wyoming have rodeos at least once during the summer,
and some of the larger towns like Jackson, Cody, and West Yellowstone have nightly or
weekly rodeos that showcase the sport's nonstop action. Some of the best rodeos are the
smaller ones, often called “ranch rodeos,” that feature real cowboys and cowgirls from area
ranches competing against each other in real-life ranch activities. Many rodeos offer events
for kids, such as greased-pig contests or wild-sheep riding. Generally speaking, rodeos are
great family-oriented events.
Frontier Days (800/227-6336, www.cfdrodeo.com ) in Cheyenne is the country's largest
outdoor rodeo, with attendance of nearly 200,000 people each summer for the 10-day
festival. The Buffalo Bill Cody Stampede Rodeo (307/587-5155 or 800/207-0744,
www.codystampederodeo.com ) in Cody has had bucking broncs since 1919, and the
family-friendly Cody Nite Rodeo (307/587-5155, www.codyniterodeo.com ) runs nightly
June-August. Jackson Hole offers rodeos (307/733-7927, www.jhrodeo.com ) twice weekly,
on Wednesday and Saturday nights, Memorial Day-Labor Day, plus some Friday nights in
July and August. The small town of Buffalo offers two weekly rodeos, including an all-wo-
men rodeo, The Cowgirl Rodeo, on Tuesday nights. West Yellowstone also hosts a rodeo
(406/560-6913, www.yellowstonerodeo.com ) during each weekend in the summer June-
August, and the Professional Bull Riders tour (719/242-2800, www.pbrnow.com ) stops in
Montana at Billings, Livingston, Helena, and Sidney, and in Wyoming at Cheyenne, Casper,
and Afton.
Minor League Baseball
A popular spectator sport in Montana and Wyoming is professional minor league baseball.
The Pioneer League ( www.pioneerleague.com ) has teams in Missoula (Arizona Diamond-
backs), Helena (Milwaukee Brewers), Great Falls (Chicago White Sox), and Billings (Cin-
cinnati Reds). This rookie league plays about 70 games June-September, and most play-
ers are recent draft picks. Although Casper used to have a Pioneer League team known as
the Casper Ghosts, the ball club was replaced by the Casper Cutthroats who are part of
the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League, as are the Cheyenne Grizzlies. In both leagues,
games often draw good crowds and are enjoyed by baseball aficionados who live in these
states that have no major league sports teams.
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