California Rodeo Salinas is in some pretty good company.
The National Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City has named the annual event one of two recipients of its inaugural Rodeo Legacy Award, established to recognize rodeos of historial significance that continue to shape the sport and Western culture. Oregon’s Pendleton Round-Up shares the honor.
Both events have been around for more than a century. California Rodeo Salinas started in 1911 and soon attracted professional cowboys and cowgirls—as well as celebrities like Will Rogers, Gene Autry and Clint Eastwood. It remains the largest outdoor rodeo in the state.
It’s not the first time California Rodeo Salinas has been recognized on a national level. In 2008, the event was enshrined by the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs.
The National Rodeo Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place in November.