History of the Rodeo

Started in 1947

The rodeo was first held in 1947 in Kispiox Village by an enthusiastic group of cowboys and Indigenous people alike. It shifted to its present location in 1948 and is still going strong.

Sanctioning History

The Kispiox Valley Rodeo has seen many sanctioning bodies over its lifetime. It was originally sanctioned by the CPA, which later became the CPRA. For many years, the rodeo was the largest non-sanctioned rodeo in Canada, eventually joined the Yellowhead Rodeo Association, and has been with the BCRA since the late 1980s.

Built by Volunteers

Over the years, volunteers have built five arenas, six sets of bleachers, four announcer’s booths, four loading chutes, concessions, fences, and much more. They have mowed grounds, cut and split firewood, controlled weeds, filled potholes, and held more than a hundred rodeo dances.

Tradition & Competition

The rodeo combines history, riverside camping, live music, Dutch oven cookouts, pancake breakfasts, BBQ beef cooked in the boiler of an old paddle wheeler, live bands, pack horse races, cowhide races, tug of wars, rescue races, and footraces.

Though proud of old-fashioned traditions, it sets a high standard in BCRA rodeos with top bucking stock, world-class rodeo personnel, strong prize money, trophies, and buckles.

Historic Footage

KVRC thanks the National Film Board of Canada for permission to show footage of the first Kispiox Rodeo in 1947 from Peoples of the Skeena. Until the original file is ready for embedding, link to the KVRC Facebook reel here:

Watch the 1947 rodeo footage on Facebook