In 1922, some local residents decided to have a fall celebration noting the end of the growing and shipping season for Buena Kist lettuce that was grown in the area.  The celebration was a big feed with beef provided by the local Cattlemen's Association with the wives doing the cooking. A wedge of lettuce was served with each plate of BBQ.  Laura Turner was one of the main forces behind the BBQ and all comers were served.  No one left hungry or without their serving of lettuce.  There were also horse races, bucking horse and roping contests, and exhibitions.

The first year or two the races were held on Main Street with the finish line near the park at Town Lake.  The bucking and roping took place in a makeshift arena set up at the east end of Main Street.  Having the horse races and bucking horses downtown was not popular with all the residents and an arena was built west of town near the site of the present rodeo grounds.

The rodeo arena was built very similar to the present arena.  The arena was an oval stretched east to west.  Around the arena was, of course, a racetrack.  Remnants of the old racetrack are still visible if you look west off of Rodeo Road about 50 yards north of the Gregg Drive turn off to the rodeo grounds.  The bucking chutes in the first arena opened to the front, sort of like a starting gate for a horse race.  Some of the early contestants said that this type of chute was certainly hard on the knees. 

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In 1936, with the Great Depression in full swing, the WPA was working on Cottonwood Pass.  When the snow got too deep, the crew needed a project to keep them busy through the long winter.  Fortunately, some folks in Buena Vista were wanting a new rodeo arena, so the WPA crew went to work.  Frank Feilling donated the logs for the grandstand and some of the pens.  The logs came from Black Mountain in Park County and were hauled by Harve Flowers and Bill Turner who owned Everready Freight.  The grandstands are still being used today with most of the understructure logs being original.

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The original bucking chutes opened to the side like the present day chutes but they faced west towards the grandstand.  Too many of the bucking animals bucked into the west fence, prompting the rodeo committee to move the chutes to the south end of the arena where they are today.

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Through the 40s, 50s &  60s the rodeo went through many name changes.  Some of these names included Upper Arkansas Valley Fair, Upper Arkansas Valley Rodeo,  Lions Club Rodeo and finally Collegiate Peaks Stampede Rodeo.

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Initially the rodeo committee was an ad hoc committee of local ranchers who got together to put on the rodeo.  The ranchers themselves provided the stock for the early rodeos.  In the 1950s, the rodeo was sanctioned by the RCA, now the PRCA.  The stock contractor was also sanctioned which required additional funds.  After the fourth year of being sanctioned, the rodeo was in debt.  Local citizens, including Bill Hallock, Glen Morrison, Frank Feiling and Shirley Avery, put up the money and continued to finance the rodeo for several more years. These folks could not afford to continue supplying funds so the Lions Club was asked to take over the rodeo, which they did in 1966.  

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In 1991, the Lions Club asked the American Legion to join them in sponsoring and providing manpower for putting on the rodeo.  Starting in 1993, the American Legion and the Lions Club each put up $6000 for improvements on the rodeo grounds.  The entire arena, chutes and pens have been rebuilt since then.  What used to be a patched together wood and wire arena, that often required makeshift repairs during the performances, is now a sturdy steel structure that requires little or no maintenance.  From 1995 to 1999, the Town of Buena Vista helped financially and physically with the improvements which included the lights, metal bleachers, and the warm up arena.  In 1997, the Lions Club withdrew and the American Legion took it over.  After running the rodeo for 7 years, the aging membership of the American Legion also had to withdraw from the operation of the rodeo.  A non-profit corporation, Collegiate Peaks Stampede, Inc., was created to operate the rodeo.  

The stock contractors for the early rodeos were Earl Hale, Denny Eperson and a contractor from Montrose.  Starting in 1959, Edker Wilson provided the stock for the rodeo and did so until 1992.  For a few years, the rodeo was in danger of going out of business because of the falling popularity of rodeo and the financial problems that went along with it.  The rodeo committee changed stock contractors and W/A Rodeos  was hired to bring some excitement back to Buena Vista.  From 1993 through 2004, Buster Webb's W/A Rodeos provided the stock, a new announcer, and a new clown.  Together with the change in stock contractors, the Collegiate Peaks Stampede reverted back from being an independent rodeo to the Colorado Pro Rodeo Association to help attract a better quality of contestants to the rodeo.

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These changes worked and the rodeo became  a booming success.  The rodeo is still going on after all this time and improving every year.  The days and time of the rodeo have also changed.

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In an effort to keep improving the rodeo, a new stock contractor was chosen.  Long time CPRA stock contractor, Glen Southwick, will be providing the stock for this year's rodeo.  Southwick has many award winning bucking horses and bulls that he cares for like family.  Through a lease program, his roping stock is always fresh and all of his stock is ready to put on a crowd-pleasing show.

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Collegiate Peaks Stampede Rodeo has won many awards for being the best newly sanctioned rodeo, the best small purse rodeo, and the best medium purse rodeo.  As you watch the Collegiate Peaks Stampede this year, you will be seeing not only one of the oldest rodeos in the state, but also one of the best!