Caballeros de Yuma Host 9th Annual Bull of the Desert Strongman

Caballeros de Yuma hosted the 2026 Bull of the Desert Strongman Competition at the Cocopah Resort & Casino in Somerton, bringing 43 athletes from Yuma, Phoenix, California and Quantico, Virginia to compete in five traditional strongman events. The annual competition began at 9:00 a.m. and featured the Three-Leg Medley, Wagonwheel Axel Deadlift, Fingal’s Fingers, Vehicle Pull and Atlas Stones.

Event organizers posted that they had relocated the contest to the casino in partnership with the venue: “We have partnered with Cocopah Casino for the 2026 Bull of the Desert Strongman Competition and have moved the event location to their site. The address is 15318 S Avenue B, Somerton, AZ 85350.” The organizer page promoted the meet as the “9th Annual Event” and noted the competition “is still using military equipment, still military-themed.”

Logistics for athletes and officials followed organizer guidance published before the event. Weigh-ins were held at Cocopah Casino Friday, January 30 from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturday, January 31 from 6:30 AM to 8:00 AM at the same address. The competition schedule began with a round-robin segment: “0900: Competition begins with round-robin: Medley/Deadlift/Fingal Fingers (your specific order of events may vary).” After the round-robin and a 15 minute intermission, competitors moved to the Vehicle Pull, where organizers said “we will have 3 lanes operating at the same time.” The event listing also showed an entry fee of $100 and made clear the meet was sanctioned: “This is a United States Strongman sanctioned event. USS membership is required of all athletes. Membership can be purchased ONLY here:”

Organizers staged lead-up opportunities for local athletes. A free practice session was held Sunday, Jan 4 from 1-3 p.m. at Desert Sun Stadium, with equipment available including “the Fingal Fingers, seabags, warheads, and vehicles to pull.” The event notice also warned that the strongman competition was being run in combination with the organizer’s Marathon and Half Marathon: “This event is being combined with our annual Marathon and Half Marathon event so please follow signage for proper check-in/registrations day of competition.”

Local leaders emphasized community benefit from visitor traffic. Jacob Reeves, chairman of the Bull of the Desert, said: “I think any time that we can bring more people in that aren't familiar with Yuma and what Yuma has to offer...with where Yuma is situated between Phoenix and San Diego, I think any time that we can bring people into that it's gonna help us out as a community.”

For Yuma County, the competition underscored the town’s capacity to host regional athletic draws that bring outside spending and visibility. Organizers framed the meet as both a sport showcase and a promotional tool for the area; athletes and spectators can expect official results and future registration details to be posted by the event organizers and sanctioning body.