Tickets go on sale for Poly Royal Rodeo
Three-night rodeo series runs April 9–11
– Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 11, at noon for the 84th Annual Poly Royal Rodeo, which will be held April 9–11 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium during Cal Poly’s annual Open House.
The rodeo is returning to the university’s largest outdoor venue, increasing spectator capacity to 12,000 guests per night. Last year, more than 3,000 people attended each night of the four-night, standing-room-only rodeo held at the Manfred and Jean Sander Arena at the Cotton Rosser Rodeo Complex.
The three-night series begins Thursday, April 9, with a general admission event featuring a motocross performance by The Flying Cowboyz and bullfighting performed by Bullfighters Only. Organizers said the Thursday event is not a traditional rodeo but will include several rodeo-style performances. That night’s event will conclude with a professional drone show.
The Annual Poly Royal Rodeo performances begin Friday, April 10, and conclude Saturday, April 11, with the Poly Royal Rodeo Finals. All performances begin at 6:30 p.m. Concerts will follow the rodeo performances on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Bayker Blankenship, a 20-year-old country music performer from Livingston, Tennessee, will take the stage following the rodeo. On Saturday, Waylon Wyatt, a 19-year-old country music singer from Hackett, Arkansas, will perform after the finals.
The Poly Royal Rodeo is the marquee campus event during Cal Poly’s Open House weekend. Friday’s rodeo will feature senior and master’s students from the Cal Poly rodeo program. Saturday’s championship performance will feature top collegiate rodeo athletes from the West Coast Region who advanced from earlier rounds during the weekend.
Competitors will vie for championship titles in barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, and steer wrestling.
General admission tickets cost $50. A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for $150. Admission is free for children under age 3. Cal Poly students may purchase tickets for the Thursday performance for $30.
Tickets will be available starting Wednesday, Feb. 11, at https://ticketscalpoly.evenue.net/events/CPR. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cal Poly rodeo program.
Cal Poly Rodeo, coached by Ben Londo, is among the most successful collegiate rodeo programs in the history of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. The program sent six men to the inaugural College National Finals Rodeo in 1949 and has since earned 45 national titles, the most of any college rodeo program. Last year, the program sent its largest team on record to the College National Finals Rodeo. Participation is open to all Cal Poly students.
