Each year Salem Stampede Championship is the source of unprecedented joy for rodeo enthusiasts across the globe. The Salem Civic Center unfolds hundreds of cowboys on the weekends, and as its 56th event took place this weekend, the world witnessed a real treat. Several cowboys and cowgirls raced toward the Civic Center to participate in the most popular rodeo events.

The Championship took place between 5th January and 7th January, and the event was highly successful. Despite the chilly winter weather, rodeo enthusiasts came out in huge numbers recording historic numbers on Saturday night.

Salem Stampede witnesses historic numbers

As the enthralling 2023 rodeo season drew curtains, 2024 started with a bang as the Salem Stampede Championship rodeo garnered huge excitement in the community. The event runs for three days, and last year, all three days were sold out. But this time it was an even bigger success as Saturday night witnessed the biggest hit with over 4,000 fans bracing the stands as per a report by wsls.com. The record-breaking numbers were witnessed despite the shades of winter during the day.

Speaking with media after the packed crowd lightened up the event, Kevin Debusk, spokesman for Salem rodeo pressed his happiness. “One of the great things about this event is even with a little bit of a wintery mix, the hot action and excitement we have indoors actually did not deteriorate during the day; it actually increased, and we sold out last night“, he added. Sunday night witnessed similar excitement among the rodeo enthusiasts, but before that a heartwarming moment took place on the inaugural day.

Salem Civic Center wins Rodeo Hearts

The Salem Rodeo won hearts after the son of Drew’s Family, AJ, got his wishes fulfilled. AJ, who is 4 years old, was born with a rare genetic disease but was given a VIP treatment on the inaugural evening. Having had to go through five heart surgeries, butterflies flew in his stomach after being geared up and then hopped onto the professional rodeo scene.

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While DeBusk called it ‘special’, the Salem rodeo is also partnering with Dreaming of Three for a noble and philanthropic cause from the past decade. The collaboration aims to serve “children fighting cancer, heart disease or other life threatening diseases“. In addition to being a source of joy and adrenaline rush, the Civic Center gains even more respect for such heartwarming acts.

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