Kenai Peninsula Fair Rodeo

History of Rodeo on the Last Frontier Prior to 1962, there were a few rodeos a year across the state, mostly a "play-day" type atmosphere, where local ranchers would bring a few head of roping stock, an ornery horse or two and sometimes a bull, mostly a bucking cow or two. These were held on the 4th of July at Happy Valley, near Homer, and at Palmer during Colony Days, and also the State Fair up on old Bailey Hill north of Palmer. Cowboys would enter up at the arena on rodeo day, judges usually would be picked from whomever was handy and not riding. No attention was paid to the equipment used and what rules were used were those in the mind of the judge, usually left over from some contact with professional rodeo Outside.