On June 3, the BYU-Idaho SpringFest rodeo took center stage as part of the university's week-long spirit week, which is designed to create community and build connections during the spring semester. 

Before the main event, food trucks and pre-rodeo activities, such as cornhole, lined the entrance, welcoming students and the community. 

At 6:30 p.m., the rodeo officially began with a presentation of the American flag and the singing of the national anthem. Following the anthem, attendees bowed their heads in prayer as the first riders began preparing for their event.  

Mutton Busting kicked off the night with young kids ages 5 to 8 years old putting on their helmets and vests and courageously riding sheep across the arena one at a time. Another event for younger participants was the mini bull riding that took place right after mutton busting. 

Between the competitive events, fun activities were offered to registered crowd members, such as tug-of-war, hobby horsing and the cash cow. 

Organizers of the rodeo, Kylie Jones and Estaban Cabrera, explained that hobby horsing was highly anticipated among the planners for this year's rodeo. 

“The whole rodeo was so fun to watch, but the hobby horsing was definitely one of the most entertaining events that happened,” Sierra Speakman, a senior studying biochemistry, said.  

Moving from stick ponies to the real thing, participants showcased their skills in various traditional events. 

BYUI students made their appearance in different events of the rodeo, such as steer riding. There was a total of 11 steer riders, six women, and five men. Despite clear efforts from all riders, only the top three from each gender won buckles. 

Along with Steer riding, there was Team Roping, where two individuals on horses track a running steer while roping their horns and feet as quickly as possible.  

Barrel racing, an event where horses speed around barrels as quickly as possible, had a mixture of students as well as younger children participating. 

Several punchy individuals rode bucking broncs and bulls. The animals are incentivized to buck by tying a flank strap around the abdomen/hips. The riders do their best to stay on the animal for eight seconds while keeping one hand raised. 

Following the rodeo, the animals were cleared from the arena to make room for country dancing. Crowd members flooded the arena and danced for 1-2 hours on the dirt. Songs varying from line dances to slow dances were played for entertainment. 

“Country dancing was awesome, especially after the rodeo …,” Kolby Rosser, a freshman studying business management, said. “It really added to the vibe, and I loved being in that kind of environment.”