University of Wyoming Hosts Home Rodeo At Hansen Arena [VIDEO]

Collegiate rodeo takes center stage in Laramie this weekend as the University of Wyoming hosts their annual Laramie River Rendezvous Rodeo.

The 69th edition will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Cliff and Martha Hansen Livestock Teaching Arena. The first performance is at 7 p.m. Friday. There are two on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The championship performance or “short go” is at 11 a.m. Sunday.

The cost is $10 for each performance. Advance tickets are available at Martindale’s or Murdoch’s for $8. UW students are $5 with ID. Students can also attend Saturday afternoon’s session at 1 p.m. for free.

The Cowgirls are currently third in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) standings. Only the top two teams qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in June in Casper. Eastern Wyoming College has built a 197-point lead over UW through nine rodeos last fall and earlier this spring.

The Cowboys are sitting sixth in the region standings, so they won’t qualify as a team, but individuals can still make it to the CNFR by finishing in the top three of an event. That also holds true for the Cowgirls individually.

Interim coach Lydia Coe, and seniors Jake Smith and Cody Negri stopped by the “Laramie Live on KOWB” radio morning show this week to talk about the team, this weekend’s home rodeo and more.

In addition to the rodeo action, a memorial tribute also is planned this weekend for the late George Howard, who unexpectedly died last November in Converse County, WY. Howard had been UW’s rodeo coach for 20 years; his third-year assistant, Lydia Coe, was named the interim coach earlier this year. Current Laramie County Community College (LCCC) Coach Beau Clark will head the UW program after this summer’s CNFR.