Celebrating 101 years of tradition and a century of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) affiliation, the Caldwell Night Rodeo once again brought together the sport’s top athletes in the heart of Idaho’s Treasure Valley.
Drawing more than 50,000 fans across five nights, Caldwell Night Rodeo is recognized among the Top 20 PRCA rodeos nationwide and ranks in the Top 5 Large Outdoor Rodeos. Known as “Where the Cowboys Are the Stars,” the rodeo pioneered the nighttime performance trend in 1935, becoming one of the first in the Northwest to showcase rodeo action under the lights. The unique crowd split between the spirited “Rowdies” and the traditional “Civies” fuels an atmosphere unlike any other.
This year’s edition lived up to its billing, paying out more than $400,000 as part of the Columbia River Circuit — a pivotal stop for circuit standouts and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) hopefuls. For calf roper Hayden Ford, the 2025 Caldwell Night Rodeo marked the biggest win of his young career. Ford shared the tie-down roping title with two-time world champion Shad Mayfield, both posting an aggregate time of 17.6 seconds on two head to earn $6,331 apiece. The win pushed Ford into the top 35 of the world standings while Mayfield inched closer to the No. 1 spot in tie-down roping.
“All I could say was, ‘Wow,’” Ford said. “This is the biggest win of my career so far, and it really means a lot to me. I was sad to miss last year — it’s such a historic rodeo — so it was special to take home the win this year.”
Ford, of Tyler, Texas, and a student at Texas Tech University, missed much of his 2024 rookie season due to injury. But with his new horse, ‘Smoke’, he has placed at eight of 12 rodeos since the Fourth of July run. “I started clicking with my new horse and was able to take advantage of a lot of good draws,” he said.
Ford also explained the significance of sharing the win with the reigning All Around World Champion, Shad Mayfield, “Shad is one of the best. It was really special to share this win with him. This solidified my position and proved I can rope against the best in the world.”
A two-time College National Finals Rodeo qualifier, Ford hopes the Caldwell title will help propel him toward a Finals qualification in 2026, currently positioning him amongst the top 35 in the world, qualifying for 2026’s large indoor rodeos.
“I am already so excited for next year. I hope to keep this positive momentum going and ultimately have goals of making the Finals next year”.
Also headlining the Caldwell Night Rodeo’s 101st edition was 23-time world champion Jackie Crawford, who tied the arena record in the first round with a lightning-fast 2.2-second run, earning $3,352. However, when the dust settled in the breakaway roping, it was Beau Peterson of Kansas who claimed the aggregate victory. Roping two calves in 5.2 seconds, Peterson collected $5,028 — a crucial boost to her National Finals Breakaway Roping campaign as she battles for a spot in the top 15.
In bareback riding, Mason Yancy of Elgin, Ore., rode to the title with 171.5 points on two head, worth $4,326. The steer wrestling victory went to Holden Myers, who stopped the clock in a total of 8.1 seconds on two head to earn $6,240.
The duo of brothers from the Great White North, Dawson and Dillon Graham of Canada captured team roping honors with an 8.8-second aggregate on two head, taking home $6,107 each. In saddle bronc riding, Ross Griffin of New Mexico posted 173.5 points on two head to earn $4,270, pushing him into the top 40 of the PRCA world standings.
The barrel racing finale featured a stacked field, but it was Katelyn Scott who rose to the top, clocking a two-run aggregate of 33.83 seconds to win the title and $4,507. Closing out the week in dramatic fashion, bull rider Trevor Reiste made a 92.5-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Peanut, collecting $11,294 including ground money.
As the curtain falls on the 2025 Caldwell Night Rodeo, fans and competitors now turn their attention to the Northwest rodeo run and other key stops across the U.S. and Canada. Coverage of the latest rides and results is available on The Cowboy Channel and the Cowboy Channel Plus app.