Long History Of Cattle, Horse Ranching Celebrated During Morongo Rodeo

The following is an Oct. 4, 2023, news release from Morongo Indian Reservation:

MORONGO INDIAN RESERVATION, CA — Amateur and professional ropers and riders competed for cash prizes at the 10th Annual Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo, a celebration of Morongo’s cattle ranching history held Saturday, September 30 at the Morongo Indian Reservation.

For the fifth year, the free family-friendly rodeo featured a qualifying event for the Bob Feist Invitational (BFI) Team Roping, commonly known as ‘’The Feist,” the largest one-day annual open roping event in the country held in Reno.

“The Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo and BFI qualifier is one of the best roping events in the southwest,” said professional roper Erich Rogers, a World Champion at the 2017 National Finals Rodeo, who took part in the Morongo event. “It is a fun, all day event that brings the community together to watch the best pro riders and new up-and-comers.”

Morongo Tribal Council Member Brian Lugo, the rodeo president, said the annual rodeo commemorates the Tribe’s long history of cattle and horse ranching on the reservation that began generations ago and continues to this day.

The day-long event was open to the public as riders and ropers competed for thousands of dollars in prize money in a variety of events, such as open and team roping, Calcutta, ribbon roping, and ranch-style steer stopping. Youth riders also joined in the fun in mutton-busting and youth barrel racing competitions.

“As always, the Morongo Open Ranch Rodeo was a great event again this year that gave fans a chance to see some of the best riders and ropers in the country,” said Aaron Tsinigine, a 2015 PRCA Team Roping World Champion. “It is definitely one of my favorite stops of the year.”

Hosted by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the Morongo Cultural Heritage Department, the event sponsors include Southern California Edison and SoCalGas.