Sky City hosts Y2K Rodeo

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

PUEBLO OF ACOMA — The Days of Y2K Rodeo is coming to Sky City Casino Hotel this weekend.

The rodeo, featuring bullriding, team roping, steer wrestling, bareback riding, and saddle bronc riding for the men, also includes barrel racing and breakaway roping for women.

The rodeo is hosted by Sky City and is being put on by the Tsosie Brothers Rodeo Co., out of Shiprock.

Janice Aragon, secretary of the New Mexico Rodeo Association said the rodeo is sanctioned by NMRA as well as the All Indian Rodeo Association.

She said she expects about 200 contestants by the time the rodeo is finished on Sunday.

Aragon said there is still time to enter and contestants can either call her or enter at the rodeo prior to the events on both Saturday and Sunday.

The All Around Champion both days receives a silver buckle in addition to the cash prize.

Aragon said winners of the bull riding and barrel racing events will probably make around $500 each.

"Even though this is a casino, rodeo is a family event," said Phil Robertson, Sky City spokesman.

Several employees at the hotel casino are rodeo contestants and they and a number of area residents have been asking for a rodeo for awhile, Robertson said. "It's fun for everyone."

Tommy Tsosie, a co-owner of the rodeo company with his brother Harrison, said they will be bringing PBR caliber bulls.

"We have breeding program and we have some really tough bulls," he said.

"T-Bull has been to the PBR finals in Las Vegas, Nev.," he said. "And he has not been ridden once this year."

Another bull to watch is Hogan Hero, he said.

"He has only been ridden once this year and the rider earned an 87 on him," Tsosie said.

As of Thursday afternoon, Aragon said Branden Bond, of Albuquerque, who won the Ft. Sumner Rodeo last weekend has entered as well as one of the state high school champions, Ryon Montroy, of Pagosa Springs, Colo.

The rodeo is at the Sky City Rodeo Grounds, just north of the casino hotel. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate. The rodeo starts at 1 p.m., both days.

To register, contact Aragon at (505) 289-9426.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or fax; (505) 287-2581.