High-profile rodeos set to begin

Reese Richman and Seth McPherson aren't quite sure why anyone would want to honor them.

Richman, 81, was a schoolteacher who needed a part-time job, and after driving a truck and working construction, he decided to start his own ranch. McPherson has lived on a ranch all of his 74 years and admits it's a job one never really retires from as he still helps his son, who now runs the family ranch.

Raising cattle and riding horses is a tough way to scratch out a living, the men admit. But is it reason enough to honor them at a special dinner in Ogden?

The men might be a little skeptical, but Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo officials believe it is so important, they're honoring one person from each of Utah's 29 counties as part of the rodeo's National Day of the American Cowboy Celebration.

"In effect, what those ranchers and farmers do every day created the sport of rodeo," said Jeff Haney, one of the rodeo's spokesmen. "Rodeo came about because ranchers realized what they do required skill. They asked themselves, 'Who is best at it?' And then to blow off steam, they created competitions."

Utah boasts two of the best and most high-profile rodeos in the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo and the Days of '47 Rodeo. Both take place this week and celebrate the pioneers' arrival in Utah on July 24, 1847. Both rodeos begin Monday at 7 p.m. Ogden's Pioneer Days Rodeo runs through Friday, while the Days of '47 Rodeo will finish up on Saturday at the E Center.

Haney said it's important to preserve the sport of rodeo because of what it tells us about ourselves.

"We have this sport that tells us exactly where we came from," he said.

Rodeo preserves ranching skills, like roping, training horses and catching cattle, by showcasing them in a competition unlike any other in the sports world. Many refer to it as the first extreme sport, but others see it as an important part of not just Utah history but of Western heritage.

While Ogden's rodeo has been around for 75 years and was started during the Great Depression as a way to help people forget their troubles, Days of '47 began in 1971 and will move to a new home this summer. Rodeo chairman Brad Harmon said the move was something the board considered for many months before announcing it in February.

"It was really a process," said Harmon, whose father, Flip Harmon, started the rodeo in 1971 when it was held at the Salt Palace. "It was quite a debate. ... In the end, the board felt this was the best decision we could make."