A cowboy holds onto his bucking bronco during last year's Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo in Central Point.

Every year, the Central Point Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo draws massive crowds with its adrenaline-fueled events, breathtaking action and top-tier athletes — of both the two-legged and four-legged variety.

The rodeo will take center stage at the Jackson County Expo Thursday-Saturday, May 18-20. Each night will feature tie-down roping, team roping, barrel racing, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and bareback riding.

The final two nights will also have different themes, according to Helen Baker, director of the Jackson County Expo.

“On Friday night, we will honor our first responders, and Saturday is Patriot Night,” she said.

Melding past & present

One of the best parts of the rodeo is watching the action unfold in real time right before your eyes.

But Baker also loves how the rodeo inspires people, especially children and adolescents. The young cowboys and cowgirls in the audience are having fun and learning about agriculture.

“It’s important to expose our youth to the knowledge, skills and athleticism involved in the rodeo. While it’s entertaining, these are necessary skills still being used by ranchers today.”

Additionally, modern rodeo events highlight our agricultural roots, and allow a peek behind the curtain of farm and ranch life.

“We need cowboys, even today. They still work on local farms and ranches,” said Baker. When people attend the rodeo, they see why it’s important for ranchers to be able to rope a steer, or have a strong bond with their horse.

“Technology can’t take over every part of ranching. Some of the skills on display at the rodeo are something that farmers and ranchers must know how to do.”

Wild West fun for everyone

The rodeo has become a beloved American pastime that attracts spectators of all ages.

For the participants, the largest sanctioning body of rodeo in the United States is the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The PRCA hosts regional and national trials, including the Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo.

Additionally, the Central Point Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo is home to record-setting firsts. At a previous rodeo, a bull rider achieved the only 100-point bull ride — a perfect score.

This year, the doors open at 6 p.m. nightly and the rodeo starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Sherm’s Food 4 Less Self-Service Kiosk, the Expo office and online at wildrogueprorodeo.com. General admission tickets are $20, reserved tickets are $25 and prices increase $5 at the door.

From high stakes bull riding to adrenaline-pumping barrel racing — and of course, the rodeo clowns who help the cowboys — it will be an evening of on-your-feet action.