The free, all-day rodeo at Morongo includes team roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping, among others.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS

Amateur and professional ropers and riders will compete for cash prizes at the ninth annual Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo, a free event set for Oct. 9 at the Morongo Indian Reservation.

For the third year, the rodeo will also include a qualifying event for the Bob Feist Invitational (BFI) Open Team Roping, commonly known as ‘’The Feist,” the largest one-day annual open roping event in the country held in Reno, Nevada.

“With more money, more events and the addition of a BFI Qualifier, rodeo fans have more to celebrate as the Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo raises the stakes for this great event,” said Aaron Tsinigine, the 2015 PRCA World Champion Team Roping Header.

The free, all-day rodeo at Morongo is open to the public as contestants compete for custom buckles and thousands in prize money in ranching events, including team roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping, among others. Younger competitors will also have a chance to participate in youth barrel racing, mutton busting and steer riding events.

The Open Ranch Rodeo at Morongo kicks off at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Morongo Rodeo Grounds at 11555 Cottonwood Road. Events will take place throughout the day. Calcutta starts at 6 p.m., and the BFI Opening Ranch Roping Qualifier starts at 6:30 p.m.

“The Open Ranch Rodeo at Morongo is an opportunity to see some of the best of the best ropers and riders in action alongside up-and-coming rodeo stars and youth riders,” says Erich Rogers, World Champion Team Ropers at the 2017 National Finals Rodeo. “The Morongo Rodeo is a fantastic event, and it’s definitely one of my favorite stops on the rodeo tour.”

The rodeo is sponsored by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Morongo Cultural Heritage Department.