Washington prepares for America 250 rodeo takeover on National Mall: ‘Something DC has never done’

“I just really think there’s value in preserving these stories, because not every American comes from the same place as an experience, but I think that if they understand the stories, if we understand one another’s roots, maybe it better helps us understand the country we share,” he said.

“It’s going to be something D.C. has never done,” Binion added. “I don’t think it’s ever been showcased or seen, so it’s the first time, which I think is exciting.”

For Binion, the Washington, D.C., rodeo is a way to communicate both cultural heritage and the concrete ways cowboys transformed the country.

“Determination, grit, work ethic, and integrity: Those four words are big in our culture,” he said. “It simply isn’t an event at 10. It’s a way of life that people can see that’s been passed down from one generation to the next.”

From the origins of transportation to transforming the food industry, the cowboy has played a vital role in shaping American life, Binion said.

“Huge in agriculture — it’s what helped feed the world, the cowboy,” he mused. “How the horse came to America and transformed into a key component of what helped us shape the West and America in general, as the horse did — it was everything. Vehicles, they go off of horsepower for a reason, because it went from the horse to the vehicle.”

Organizers have framed Rodeo 250 as a free educational experience, marking a departure from traditional events. Attendees on the National Mall will see a variety of demonstrations and exhibitions telling “the evolution of the American cowboy,” from Spanish vaquero traditions to cattle drives, Wild West performances, trick riding, Roman riding, trick roping, precision riding demonstrations, traditional Mexican charro performances, liberty horse exhibitions, and the emergence of modern professional rodeo.

Binion said he got the idea for merging the rodeo with Washington, D.C.’s semiquincentennial initiatives during Houston’s massive rodeo, which he attended with some officials from the Trump administration. He pitched the thought to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins while helping her onto a horse during the Texas event.

“We’re getting ready for the rodeo in Houston, Texas, 73,000 people at this performance, and we were just in the grand entry, and I just said, ‘Why can’t we tell this story on the stage for the 250th birthday?’” Binion remembered. “We’re here in Houston, where it’s mainstream. Why can’t it be all across America mainstream? I mean, why can’t those people just hear the story, and then they can decide for themselves if they think it’s a special part of history or not?”

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There are several big names committed to being part of the rodeo. They include Will Stites, a first-frontier saddle bronc riding champion, and horseback performer Cavin Graham, a mustang magic champion, top 10 finalist in mustang makeovers, and a freestyle reining champion. A slate of other riders and western entertainers is lined up, such as world champion trick rider Ginger Duke, film stunt veteran Shawn Howard, Mexican charro Gabriel Hernandez, and veteran rodeo announcer Justin McKee. 

“If people come to understand, like how important this was to where we are today, then it’ll open their eyes up and really shine light on something, on a way of life that people shouldn’t take for granted, because we wouldn’t be where we are today if it hadn’t happened,” Binion said.