Photos, video of 2024 Exceptional Rodeo at CSU Spur

Adam Daurio says one teacher told him that her students call the Exceptional Rodeo “the arena of freedom.”

“This is where kids of all abilities come to smile and unwind and have that Western experience that can be hard to find in an urban setting,” Daurio, the director of the Temple Grandin Equine Center, said.

That Western experience came in all forms during this year’s Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Exceptional Rodeo on Jan. 18 at the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center.

This more than four-decade-old adaptive rodeo allows kids of all abilities to be a cowboy or cowgirl for a day, be it by riding a real mechanical bull, roping and barrel racing with interactive props, or petting the two miniature horses that live on the CSU Spur campus.

From different types of mechanical bulls to one-on-one time with CSU Spur’s mini horses, there was shortage of activities at the Exceptional Rodeo (Photos by Angelica Peterson, CSU System).

There was even a real-life rodeo announcer providing updates on all of the events on the loudspeaker.

“The vibe here is great,” said Robert Dehne, a CSU alumnus who attended the rodeo with his sons, Brody and Westin. “It’s so fun to hear everyone shaking their cowbells and just having a blast. It’s pretty special to see the smiles on everyone’s faces.”

All told, more than 70 children with special needs took part in the rodeo – all of whom wore their own cowboy hats and custom rodeo shirts with their own numbers on the back.

Rodeo icons and families alike were excited to meet CSU legend Temple Grandin at the Exceptional Rodeo (Photo by Angelica Peterson, CSU System).

Suanne Henry came to the rodeo with her 10-year-old son, Dax, and she said her favorite part was seeing him have the chance to interact with all the other kids during the rodeo activities.

“I got to ride the bull, and I got my own trophy,” Dax said excitedly.

“And we got to meet THE Temple Grandin,” his mom added.

Grandin, a CSU professor of animal sciences and renowned autism expert, was in attendance for the entire event, where she spoke to many of the children and their families.

She wasn’t the only person who drew a crowd; multiple rodeo competitors and royalty also volunteered at the rodeo and signed many of the children’s hats and helped guide them through the activities.

“We love coming here and getting to meet everybody – especially the amazing kids,” said Miss Rodeo North Dakota Grace Stanke.

Between all the participants, visiting school groups and the volunteers, the Exceptional Rodeo’s organizers estimate around 460 people stopped by over the course of this year’s event.

“The community came together and provided us with more volunteers than ever and the kids and their families came out in a big way,” Daurio said. “This was a huge success in so many different ways.”