Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Grounds

09/18/2025

🎗️ Ridin’ for a Cure 🤠
Prescott Frontier Days®, home of the World’s Oldest Rodeo®, proudly continues our annual Ridin’ for a Cure Dinner to support local cancer research in partnership with Arizona Oncology and Dignity Health YRMC 💛

📅 Saturday, October 4, 2025
📍 Mackin Building – 840 Rodeo Dr, Building D
🕟 Doors open at 4:30 PM | 🍽️ Dinner served at 6 PM
🎉 Enjoy a night of food, fun, live & silent auctions, and a cash bar

🎟️ Tickets:
$50 per seat or $360 for a table of 8
👉 Available at the Rodeo Office | Mon–Fri, 9AM–4PM
938-445-3103

Let’s come together as a community to make a difference right here in our small-town community💪

09/17/2025

Founded over 30 years ago, ATHENA International is a women’s leadership organization that supports, develops and honors women leaders through the programs it administers. ATHENA’s flagship program, the ATHENA Leadership Award® Program, has honored over 7,000 women leaders from hundreds of cities and eight countries since its inception in 1982. ATHENA Leadership Award® Recipients hail from all professional sectors.

The award’s rich history, international scope and emphasis on mentorship make this award unique and amongst the most prestigious leadership awards one can receive. ATHENA Leadership Award® Recipients are presented a hand-cast, bronzed and crystal sculpture that symbolizes the strength, courage and wisdom of ATHENA Recipients.
Our very own Karen Davis was nominated and a finalist for the Athena Leadership award.
Karen is pioneer, trailblazing a path for the next generation of woman in a male dominated arena. Leading with Vision and championing equality, Karen raised $1.5million for the 2025 Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo and supported events including Whiskey Women and Wine to help injured rodeo athletes, and Ridin' For a Cure, supporting cancer victims. She mentors youth ambassadors and enjoys teaching business skills to younger people.

MaryAnn Suttles who so deservingly won the official title of the 2025 ATHENA Leadership Award. Longtime Prescott city council member and former Mayor Pro Tem MaryAnn Suttles has been instrumental in advancing woman in politics. MaryAnn, among several other accomplishments, has chaired for our rodeo's Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign for years, raising funds to battle breast cancer.

And our very own Prescott Frontier Days®, World's Oldest Rodeo®, was nominated for the Athena Organizational Leadership Awards. The history of women in rodeo has taken center stage with our rodeo. Highlighted this year were female competitors along with their talent, courage and determination to carve out their space in a male dominated sport. Women have played key roles in the rodeo since 1889 in their positions such as stock contractors, photographer, organizer and an all female trick riding team.

We are so proud and honored to be a part of these awards and every single women nominee and organization is deserving off all of the credit for all that they do.
And thank you to Ashley Darling for taking these amazing photos during the event.

09/16/2025

On this episode of Ride With Us, host Greg Mengarelli sits down with Megan Johnson—former Miss Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Queen—and her son, Braylon Johnson, a rising star in the rodeo world.

https://youtu.be/Qeb02eO7Qh

On this episode of Ride With Us, host Greg Mengarelli sits down with Megan Johnson—former Miss Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Queen—and her son, Braylon Johnso...

09/11/2025

🎉 Mark your calendars for a jam-packed day of Western heritage, family fun, and legendary horses! 🐴🇺🇸

📍Saturday, September 13th | Prescott Rodeo Grounds

✨ Olsen’s Equifest Arizona kicks off at 8AM!
🧒🎯 Bring the whole family out for the Family Fun Zone from 9AM–2PM — games, inflatables, and plenty of fun for the little cowboys and cowgirls!

🐎 From 9AM–6PM, enjoy roping and ranch horse demonstrations all day long, featuring the best of the best from K4 and A Bar Ranches.

🔥 At 4:30PM, don’t miss the Match Calf Roping showdown:
4x World Champion Tuf Cooper vs. 2x World Champion Riley Webb — this is a can't-miss clash of champions! 🏆🤠

🌟 Wrap up the day at 6:30PM with the Legacy Ranch Horse Sale, celebrating its 10th Anniversary with some of the finest horses in the industry. Historic ranches. Legendary horses.

📞 For sale info: www.ranchhorsesale.com | (928) 925-8939

09/09/2025

🤠Don't forget the fun and excitement of our annual Cowboy Golf Classic Tournament happening this Friday!

⛳We still have spots available for teams to join in
📱Call our rodeo office today to get signed up
💥 928.445.3103

09/03/2025

Some of the faces of the future rodeo athletes we are so proud to have run on our grounds here!
Keeping the rodeo way of life alive 🤠🤠

09/01/2025

🎡🎟️ The Countdown Begins...
Get ready for funnel cakes, Ferris wheels, rodeo thrills, and unforgettable memories! 🐄🎠
🎉 TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE for the Yavapai County Fair — and trust us, you don’t want to miss this year’s excitement!
📍 Prescott Rodeo Grounds
📅 September 4-7th, 2025
🐰 4H Showcases
🎶 Live Music
🍭 Fair Food
🐴 Rodeo & Livestock
🎢 Carnival Rides
🎨 Local Vendors & More!
💻 Grab your tickets now at: https://tickets.yavapaifair.com/p/tickets?fbclid=IwY2xjawL0k2hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHs98Va1XsUz5zMjg94aHrd8gvc9mkCTsBgzNUCxwCLbL-Ap8caSZ0v4zqnVD_aem_O0F8uRUgOMLqJDxtpOliog
Tag your fair crew & let’s make it a wild ride! 🐓🌟

08/28/2025

Being known as “the Audie Murphy of Prescott Frontier Days® rodeo” is
just one of the accolades attributed to PFD volunteer Steve Blair, a long-
time supporter and donor for the rodeo. He and PFD Facilities Manager
Mike Alderete, a hero to PFD rodeo contestants and stock handlers for his
consistently exceptional arena work, joined forces to upgrade the Justin
Room where our guest rodeo contestants rest and receive medical
attention.
In addition to his other contributions, in 2025 Steve took on the chairman
duties for the Justin Room -- the 1950’s-era block building formerly known
as the jockey room -- that was sorely in need of an overhaul. He and Mike
started with the warmup area behind the bucking chutes by deep cleaning
it, then Mike and Steve’s son David Pindzola spent weeks inside the Justin
Room painting, fixing leaks, reconfiguring the cabinets, and repairing or
replacing furniture. Steve replaced old appliances and added a freezer to
hold ice for injuries. He added a TV for live streaming the rodeo while Mike
overhauled the showers and bathrooms, much of it on their own dime.
Although these humble, dignified men received countless compliments for
their efforts, Steve would characteristically tell people he was “just doing his
job,” while Mike was determined to present a professional appearance to
the rodeo talent that visited. PFD Arena Director Robby Long said, “the
best compliment I ever heard was from Mrs. Karen Vold. The matriarch of
the Vold family and our rodeo came over to me and commented on how
things were so well kept up this year!” The Justin Sports Medicine crew and
numerous contestants also made it known they were impressed with the
changes and thankful for the continued support of the arena team.

Thank you, Steve and Mike, for making the Justin Room a more
comfortable rest stop for our guest contestants and arena crew. Your care
makes all the difference!

08/26/2025

In this episode of Ride with Us, host Greg Mengarelli welcomes longtime Arizona leader and Prescott native Karen Fann. Karen shares her family’s deep rodeo roots, memories of growing up in Prescott parades, and her decades of public service. Most importantly, she spotlights the upcoming Cowboy Golf Classic—a fun-filled fundraiser supporting Prescott Rodeo royalty.

In this episode of Ride with Us, host Greg Mengarelli welcomes longtime Arizona leader and Prescott native Karen Fann. Karen shares her family’s deep rodeo r...

08/25/2025

Highlighting behind-the-scenes heroes of the World’s Oldest Rodeo® is a
privilege: these are the folks who help our rodeo attendees forget about
mundane things for a few hours so they can enjoy the show. Retired
telecom engineer Jay Vaughan, the smiling guy who kindly helps shepherd
thousands of cars into precisely marked parking spots during rodeo week,
is one of those folks.
If you ask around, people will say Jay was always busy doing something for
the rodeo, whether it was with parking, counting money, clean up, set up,
line chalking, working the volunteer parking lot, and keeping parking lead
Frank Lopez and the parking crew happy. John Snedden, another long-time
rodeo volunteer tells us, “Working with Jay is always a positive
experience. He prefers to look for solutions to problems rather than
ignoring them and hoping they go away. Always looking to make things
better and more efficient is what he does best.”
The pandemic saw a significant drop in volunteers and resources. During
this time, he, Frank Lopez, and John Snedden sprayed down the PFD
bleachers and bar areas with bleach and water every morning during rodeo
week. Jay’s connection to the Prescott Trail Riders (PTR) helped him find
volunteers during COVID to cover trash pickup and removal, once again
helping wherever he saw the need.
Some of Jay’s other interests include the Dewey Humboldt Historical
Society, PNF Forest trail maintenance team, PTR, and amateur radio work
– he earned his Amateur Radio Technician license and then his general
license – and joined the Yavapai Amateur Radio Club (YARC). Through his
connection to YARC, Jay reached out to the radio club for some extra
volunteer help during rodeo week. After joining Prescott Frontier Days® in
2019, Jay helped rally the PTR rodeo parking volunteers for Dave Morano
and subsequently Frank Lopez. The team managed to find spaces when
the parking lots were filled past capacity and into the other local lots,
streets, nooks and crannies, and wherever a car or truck would fit.

Jay’s rodeo family has high praise for him, with members saying that he’s
“Just an all-around nice guy and positive force to work with, Jay is a special
kind of guy the rodeo needs more of!” Thank you, Jay, for your heart-felt
support and efforts to help out wherever you’re needed and for showing
WOR attendees a great time!
Caption: Jay enjoying his time with Prescott Trail Riders. Photo
courtesy/Vaughan family.

08/22/2025

The theme of the 138 th World’s Oldest Rodeo® showcased women in rodeo
and was celebrated with an artist auction and reception hosted by the
Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Foundation. The original artwork, painted by
renowned western artist Sarah Phippen, featured Nancy Sheppard, a
ProRodeo Hall of Fame trick rider and roper.
Rex Hinshaw placed the winning bid and was excited to purchase the
painting that has a family connection to his uncle and his father; both were
active in the rodeo when Nancy Sheppard was performing. Nancy’s career
began in the late 1930’s and she retired from riding in 1961.
Joe Butner, president of the PFD Foundation, was pleased with the auction
results, stating “this auction is an opportunity for people who collect
western art to acquire exceptional pieces at a relatively inexpensive price.”
The reception and auction hosted approximately 30 lively attendees, for
which the Foundation is grateful.
Thanks go to Sharlot Hall, for the use of their beautiful facilities and a
special thanks to Stuart Rosebrook, Sharlot Hall’s executive director, for
facilitating the event. The Foundation is also grateful for the attendance of
Nancy Sheppard and artist Sarah Phippen, who were introduced at the
artist reception.
All proceeds support the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Foundation, which:
- helps maintain and improve the historic rodeo grounds;
- educates the public on Western heritage and rodeo history;
- curates the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum;
- provides scholarships for Yavapai College students in agriculture, equine,
and livestock management; and
- assists local individuals and families facing catastrophic illness or
hardship.
The Foundation is contemplating a different semi-permanent time and
place for the event, which will give more art enthusiasts a chance to bid on

the paintings. Butner and his team also believe the popular yearly artist
reception and auction is “one way the PFD Foundation can give back to the
community.”
Caption 1: Joe Butner, PFD Foundation President; Rex Hinshaw, Nancy
Sheppard, and Sarah Phippen. Photo courtesy/ Jack Berry
Caption 2: Sarah Phippen with her original painting inspired by Nancy
Sheppard. Photo courtesy/Jack Berry