Range War Rodeo: Homegrown rodeo gives back to community, celebrates spirit of the West
After long-running events like the Buffalo Night Rodeo and Longmire Series were dissolved in recent years, the communities of Johnson County were left without local rodeo opportunities and the chance to gather together for the Cowboy State’s favorite sport.
To fill this gap, local go-getters banded together to establish the Range War Rodeo Series, hosting its inaugural event in the summer of 2025.
“Passion for the sport of rodeo and the love for our community is what started the Range War Rodeo,” the event’s official website reads. “Our goals are to keep rodeo alive and growing in our area by giving contestants opportunities to compete and hone their talents, while giving the community great events to celebrate our rich heritage together.”
First rodeo
Ashley Lane, certified veterinary technician and Range War Rodeo’s head of public relations, marketing and entertainment, notes the idea for the Range War Rodeo was started by Lusk native Chet Johnson, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier, eight-time Canadian Finals Rodeo qualifier, Canadian saddle bronc champion and National Circuit Finals champion.
“Chet called me and pitched his idea. He said, ‘I feel like I need to give back to Johnson County, and I think with my connections and the help of you and Callie Munsick, we can get this thing off of the ground,’” Ashley shares.
She notes, in the beginning, the idea was nothing more than a “pipe dream” – there was no funding, no sponsors and no guarantees.
The team penciled out what the first rodeo would cost, set a deadline to reach their funding goals and started looking for sponsors.
“We went door to door to all of the sponsors, made phone calls, created a Facebook page, started to reach out to people and created a board,” Ashley says. “With the support of the community and our fans who had faith in us, we threw our first rodeo last June.”
Not only was the team successful in making their idea a reality, the inaugural Range War Rodeo was recognized among the top 10 rodeos in the state of Wyoming in 2025, an impressive feat for the brand-new rodeo series.
Unique event
Unlike many regional events, the Range War Rodeo is an open rodeo, welcoming contestants of all levels and backgrounds.
While it is not yet a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event, Ashley says the caliber of competition speaks for itself.
“We’ve got some of the same contestants competing in those bigger rodeos, which is amazing,” she states.
The Range War Rodeo Series includes three performances – one each in June, July and August – all held at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Buffalo.
Each event offers a full evening of entertainment with activities starting around 5:30 p.m., including food trucks and local vendors, merchandise and Western goods and live music and entertainment.
The rodeo performance begins promptly at 7 p.m. and runs for approximately two to three hours, delivering a fast-paced, high-energy experience including fan-favorite events like saddle bronc and bareback riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, team roping, bull riding, steer riding and mutton bustin.’
Ashley explains the Range War Rodeo operates as a buckle series with points accumulated across all three rodeos.
Another distinctive feature is the rodeo’s free admission, which organizers say removes the cost barrier to allow families, youth and visitors to attend without hesitation and reinforces rodeo’s role as a true community gathering.
2026 plans
As the Range War Rodeo continues to grow, Ashley says organizers are focused on refining the rodeo’s unique experience while staying true to the original mission.
Plans include expanding entertainment, adjusting schedules to improve competitor and spectator experiences and implementing a larger Saturday night production to accommodate crowds and contestants alike.
Ashley says, “On Saturday, we are planning something a little bigger than last year. We’ll run slack early that day, and we’re trying to get a big-name headliner to play some music.”
The 2026 Range War Rodeo Series is scheduled for June 11, July 9 and Aug. 8.
For more information on the Range War Rodeo, visit rangewarrodeo.com or @RangeWarRodeo on Facebook and Instagram.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
