The Arizona High School Rodeo Association made its long-awaited return to Gila County last weekend, bringing with it more than 500 competitors from across the state, along with their families, horses, and a whole lot of energy that local officials say is exactly what the county needed.
Held at the Gila County Fairgrounds, the two-day event drew junior and senior high contestants from fifth through 12th grade from across Arizona, filling the arena with barrel racers, team ropers, bareback bronc riders, bull riders, calf and goat tiers, and even long rifle and trap shooters. Local competitors included Dwight Randall, Braden Ben, Randen Ben and Delinda Ben from Peridot, along with Kailey Quintana and Hadley Dalmolin from Globe.
For Gila County, it wasn't just a rodeo, it was a reclamation.
The road back wasn't quick. The rodeo had previously called the Pavilion at Apache Gold Casino home, but when the casino stopped hosting the event, the association had to move on. At the time, the Gila County Fairgrounds didn't have the two arenas the AHSRA required to host a sanctioned event, and the rodeo left the county.
That's when Amber Martin with Gila County, and Hannah McDaniel, who heads the Gila County Fair Committee, decided to do something about it. Two years ago, they began reaching out to the AHSRA, making the case that Gila County could and should be back on the schedule. A second arena was added, and critically, it was reoriented to sit closer to the rough stock holding area, a logistical detail that made all the difference for the association.
It worked. The AHSRA board agreed to bring the event back to Gila County for 2026, and by all accounts, the effort paid off.
"It's a nice facility and we are happy to be back here," said one AHSRA representative walking the grounds.
Martin called it a collective effort, the kind of community-driven push that doesn't make headlines until the horses come through the gate and you realize what was almost lost.
Events like this don't just fill an arena. They fill hotel rooms, restaurants and fuel stations. Families traveling from Tucson, Vail and communities across Arizona for a weekend competition bring their wallets with them.
For a county like Gila, which has long leaned on tourism and events to drive its local economy, the return of a statewide rodeo drawing 500-plus competitors — each with parents, siblings and supporters in tow — is a meaningful win.
The AHSRA circuit runs across the state, with stops in Willcox, Sonoita, Holbrook, Camp Verde, Linden Valley and other communities.
Having Gila County back on that map puts the area in front of families who might otherwise have no reason to make the trip out.
Walk the fence line during competition and you'll find parents who have restructured their entire lives around this sport.
Monica and Grant Derrick made the trip from Tucson to watch their daughter Chloe compete in barrel racing. Monica rode show jumpers herself, so when Chloe showed interest in barrels, it seemed like a natural fit. Their first attempt involved one of Monica's thoroughbreds. Grant laughs recounting it; it did not go well. They went shopping for a quarter horse, and the rest, as they say, is history. Chloe is now a junior competitor, having started back in eighth grade, and the Derricks have become a fixture on the circuit.
From Vail, freshman Reese Wagner and her sister Markie Jean compete together in team roping, a discipline that demands not just individual skill, but chemistry between partners. Reese has been rodeoing since she was six years old.
"We're not high in the rankings this year," she said with a grin, "but my brother Finch Wagner is sitting in third."
The family name is making its mark.
Then there's Avi Taylor, competing in the AHSRA for the first time, though she's been on horseback since she was three. Her dad is her biggest fan and arguably her most enthusiastic promoter.
He laughed recounting a meme that made the rounds a few years back: "Buy your daughter a horse, so she doesn't bring home a jackass."
He calls himself and Avi "first generation" competitors, still learning the landscape of a sport where experience shows.
"You can tell those who have been at it longer," he said. "Better horses, better gear." Avi leveled up to a new horse just this season, and she's been winning with him.
Ask any family on the circuit, and they'll tell you the same thing: Youth rodeo is one of the most expensive sports a kid can pursue. The horse alone is the biggest variable. A well-trained competition horse can run anywhere from several thousand dollars to well over twenty thousand. Add gear, entry fees, membership dues, a truck capable of pulling a trailer, the trailer itself, and gas to get to eight or nine competitions held all over the state, and the annual investment for a serious competitor can easily stretch into five figures.
And yet, not one family we spoke with hesitated when asked if it was worth it.
The lessons are the point, they said.
The discipline, the responsibility, the early mornings, the resilience of a kid who falls off and gets back on — these aren't things that show up on a report card, but everyone in that arena knows they're real. The time spent together as a family, driving across Arizona on a Saturday morning with a horse trailer behind you and coffee in hand, is time that doesn't come back.
The AHSRA offers students the chance to compete not just across Arizona, but nationally, with championships and college scholarships on the line for those who rise to the top.
For Gila County, getting this event back is more than a scheduling win. It's a statement that the county is a destination for competitors, for families and for the sport itself. Hannah McDaniel and Amber Martin started making phone calls two years ago because they believed that.
This weekend, 500 competitors proved them right.
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