James River Rodeo marks 25 years in Jamestown
James River Rodeo turns 25 at the Stutsman County Fairgrounds, drawing contestants from four states as Jamestown fair week gets under way.
The James River Rodeo will celebrate its 25th annual run Friday and Saturday at the Stutsman County Fairgrounds in Jamestown, bringing together timed and rough stock events, slack rounds and a field of contestants from Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana and North Dakota. The milestone year lands beside the 128th annual Stutsman County Fair, keeping the fairgrounds busy during one of Jamestown’s biggest summer weeks.
What makes this year stand out is how far the event has come from its start as a local idea in 2000 and a first push in 2001. Longtime board member Greg Carlson said, “We started off with a blank slate,” a reminder that the rodeo was built by a small group of roughly 10 club members who leaned on local connections, borrowed equipment and even rented an arena in the early years.
The 2026 rodeo is set for June 26-27 at the Stutsman County Fairgrounds, 27th St. NW, with action beginning at 6:30 p.m. both nights and running about three hours each evening. Slack events will follow Friday night’s performance and start at 1 p.m. Saturday. Jamestown Tourism lists the rodeo as a qualifier for the North Dakota Rodeo Association, and the state circuit’s 2026 schedule includes 26 rodeos total, with out-of-state contestants needing to compete in 13 rodeos to reach the finals.
That schedule places the James River Rodeo in the middle of a packed regional circuit. The McLeod Stampede in McLeod is scheduled for the same June 26-27 weekend, underscoring how late-June rodeo dates pull competitors from one arena to the next across the northern Plains.
North Dakota Tourism describes rodeos in the state as rooted in horsemanship and ranching traditions, with bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, steer wrestling and bronc riding often joined by live music, parades, carnival rides and food vendors. That mix has helped the James River Rodeo grow into more than a competition date on the calendar. Carrington bulldogger Bridger Anderson is among the riders who have made it part of their own rodeo memories, while the event’s prize structure keeps younger competitors in the mix with junior purses starting at $100, adult event winners at $500 and some divisions offering saddles.
The rodeo’s 25-year run now sits alongside the county fair as a familiar Jamestown tradition, built by volunteers, sponsors and steady community buy-in rather than a sudden burst of attention.
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