As the 4th of July weekend kicks off, so does the 2021 Mid-Western Rodeo in Manawa. The rodeo started back in 1959 and continues to grow with impressive crowds every year coming out to fill the stands.
We spoke with Peter Ziebell who has been a part of the Manawa Lions Club for 25 years and that’s actually how he became the Chairman of the rodeo. “I got involved because I love rodeo,” he said. Ziebell got started team roping and still does it to this day. He’s the perfect example of how you’re never too old to get into the sport because he never even got on a horse until he was in his 30s. Most people may think that it’s quite impossible to be a part of a rodeo unless you know someone, but it’s a more accessible sport than you may assume. In order for someone to enter a rodeo, they have to be a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).
For example, if you were to team rope, you’d need to find a partner and then one of the rodeos you could be a part of would be the Wisconsin River Pro Rodeo in Merrill, WI. For a rodeo like this, there’s a 24-hour time period where you can sign up before the books close. Once signed up, you’d get your callback information, show up to the rodeo on time, pay your fees, and you’re good to go. That’s the basics of the rodeo entry process.
In Wisconsin, we’re a part of the Great Lakes Circuit which consists of nine different states. To participate in the circuit, contestants have to compete in a number of rodeos and earn points that are based on dollar winnings. For example, for team roping, the bottom qualifier (twelfth place) has to earn a minimum of $3,500 in order to move on and head to the Great Lakes Circuit finals in Louisville, Kentucky. From there, the top money winner and top average point winner from every event move on to the National Circuit Finals in Florida.
Ziebell explained that the sport of rodeo is more popular in Wisconsin than you may assume, but it’s also a struggling industry at the moment. As far as timed events go, the circuit has plenty of contestants, but the number of roughstock (bull riders, saddle bronc, or bareback bronc riders) athletes is continuously decreasing. He contributes the decline to the way kids are growing up these days. “I’m not picking on anybody, but moms are so worried about their kids getting hurt,” said Ziebell. “We need to find some adrenaline junkies. There are kids who do this stuff. These kids who ride BMX bikes…they’re risking their limbs every time they get on there. Riding a horse would be nothing.”
He said that a good high school rodeo association is key to the success of the younger generation wanting to join the rodeo family and in Wisconsin, we do have the Wisconsin High School Rodeo Association (WHSRA). “If we could just make the youth aware of it,” Ziebell said. He mentioned the fact that rodeo isn’t the only sport suffering, they all are. “Look at what’s happening even with high school sports today. Baseball, football, basketball, kids aren’t doing it anymore and I don’t know why.”
Another huge contributing factor is the decline in farms around the state. As Ziebell said, “farms are dropping like flies.” The harsh reality is that a lot of young adults don’t have a background in agriculture anymore. Ziebell joked that if we could figure that issue out, we would have our answer. As far as getting into the roughstock goes, he suggests that you at least start looking into it while in your early 20s because it takes a lot out of you. But there is no ‘right age’ to get involved in the sport.
Even with the struggle to find youth interested in rodeo, Ziebell wouldn’t trade it for anything. “It’s a lot of fun and the people are great for one, they’re fantastic. I don’t know, I guess I have no explanation for why, I just love it. Crazy isn’t it,” he said. Ziebell brought up the fact that it’s very Americana, where people aren’t afraid to pray, say God’s name, or put their hand on their heart for the National Anthem. “I think that carries a lot of weight,” said Ziebell.
You can join Ziebell and the rest of the rodeo crew this week Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Mid-Western Rodeo in Manawa. Check out the full schedule here.
To listen to the complete interview with Peter Ziebell, simply head to our podcast page.
