Craig Daily Press

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Jessie Snowden of Craig chases a calf during the 2006 Little Britches Rodeo senior girls breakaway roping competition.

When one rodeo is not enough, adding three more, along with 30 saddles to give everybody a chance at a prize, should solve the problem.

That’s the thought behind an event beginning Saturday at the Moffat County Fairgrounds. The Craig Little Britches Rodeo and the Maybell Little Britches Rodeos will combine to form four days of the event, in what will be the second-largest Little Britches rodeo in the United States this year, next to the national finals July 16 to 21 in Pueblo.

“This used to be the largest Little Britches Rodeo in the country,” organizer Dave Fleming said. “We’re working to get it back to a being a premier rodeo, with a mini-finals atmosphere.”

That finals atmosphere should be easier to achieve with the 195 contestants who already have signed up for this year’s event.

A Little Britches Rodeo offers young riders the opportunity to excel at different events in their age groups.

Little Wranglers include ages 5 to 7 years old, junior riders range from 8 to 13 years old, and seniors are between 14 and 18 years old.

One way to boost attendance and interest in the rodeo was to offer saddles to the winning contestants after four days of competing in their events, an offering the organizing committee has chosen to make this year.

“This is the first regular season event to give away saddles for event winners like at the national finals,” Fleming said. “Rodeos usually give ‘all-around’ saddles for winning a lot of events. But a lot of kids are good at one event, and this gives them, a chance to win.”

Fleming credits the Craig community with raising funds needed to commission the 30 prize saddles. Five more saddles will be awarded to all-around winners.

So many events are scheduled for each day of the rodeo that the fairgrounds east arena will be put to use for the barrel racing and flag events, with the gates and pole events taking place on the track.

The main arena will host the rough stock events, including bulldogging and roping.

Contestants pay entry fees, and winners are paid off in “rodeo dollars,” good at local business that supported the event.

All told, there will be $48,000 worth of prizes given away to rodeo contestants.

With at least 300 children and parents attending the rodeo, organizers hope spectators will flock to the event as well.

“It’s free admission to the public,” Fleming said. “It’s the spectators that make the kids feel good, when people come to watch them and are cheering for them.”

The event includes team roping Monday evening that is open to the public, bringing in riders from Baggs, Wyo., Meeker and Hayden.

Fleming has high expectations for locals at the Little Britches Rodeo and for good reason.

“Every year there is a reigning world champion from Craig,” he said. “This town has produced a lot of world champions over the years.”