Plain and simple, it is a sight to behold—1,900 horses, 1,600 competitors 1,500 campers and thousands of fans. Gillette, Wyoming is the place to be July 16-22 for the 2017 National High School Finals Rodeo. And the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is there, too.
A supporter of the western lifestyle, RMEF has been a sponsor of the event for the last five years or so. Volunteers and staffers host a membership/raffle booth where they raise scholarship money for rodeo participants as well as spread the word about RMEF’s mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.
Oh yeah, the rodeo action isn’t too bad either. It’s practically non-stop. Four different arenas host events.
“This is the largest rodeo in the world,” said Don Nahrgang, president of the National High School Rodeo Association. “And we rodeo for a week solid, twice a day, to run 1,600 kids through here and give them the opportunity to win a world title. It is just unbelievable.”
Watch some of the action here via KCWY-TV.