Team branding
Four riders, one calf at a time. Rope it, drag it to the fire and mark it with chalk, cleanest and fastest crew wins.
Read moreThe 54th year · August 14 and 15, 2027
the Lemhi ValleyRanch rodeo
Two days of working ranch crews, kids' events and a Saturday night dance under the lights in Salmon, Idaho.
- 10 a.m. gates open
- 1 p.m. grand entry
- 8 p.m. Saturday dance
Two days, one big weekend
Saturday August 14
- 10:00Gates open, vendor row and the beer garden
- 11:00Mutton busting and stick horse races
- 1:00Grand entry and the anthem
- 1:30Team branding, first go
- 3:00Wild cow milking
- 4:30Ranch bronc riding
- 8:00Dance at the grandstand stage
Sunday August 15
- 8:00Cowboy church in the arena
- 10:00Gates open
- 11:00Kids' dummy roping
- 1:00Team doctoring
- 2:30Trailer loading race
- 4:00Short go and the top ranch buckle
The ranch events
Wild cow milking
A roper, a mugger and a runner with a bottle. Get a few drops of milk to the judge before the cow gets her say.
Read more
Ranch bronc riding
Ranch saddles, one hand or two, eight seconds. Scored on the ride and how well the horse bucks.
Read moreKids 12 and under: mutton busting, stick horse races and dummy roping both days. Free to enter, sign up at the gate.
Grab a seat in the stands
Sample prices
around the arena
Last August, in pictures
Put on by neighbors, for neighbors
The Carmen Creek Saddle Club started this rodeo in 1974 so the crews up and down the valley had something to show off after shipping season. Every team is a real outfit, every horse is a ranch horse, and whatever's left after the bills goes to 4-H and FFA kids in Lemhi County.
We've come every August for twenty years. The kids live for mutton busting, and Grandpa still says the wild cow milking is the best show in Idaho.
Sample review
Good to know
Can I bring my dog?
Leashed dogs are fine in the parking lot and the campground. Please leave them out of the grandstand and the vendor row.
Is there shade in the stands?
The top twelve rows are covered. Bring a hat and a cushion for the bleachers down low.
Where do we park trailers?
Trailers and team rigs park in the north lot off the river road. Spectators park on the grass by the gate.
Do you take cards at the gate?
Yes, cards and cash at both gates. A few vendors are cash only, and there's a machine by the beer garden.