The Silver Spurs Rodeo is a rodeo held twice per year in Kissimmee, Florida. During the late 1980s, it was one of the fifty largest rodeos in the United States,[1] and is billed as the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi River. Since 1994, it has been the official state rodeo of Florida.[2]
In 1941, the Silver Spurs Riding Club was formed in Kissimmee. In 1944, at the height of World War II, the Riding Club sponsored a rodeo to encourage local citizens to purchase war bonds.[3] The first rodeo was held on July 4, 1944,[4] and in 1951, a February event was added to the calendar. The February rodeo is important enough to the region's self-image that it is a school holiday (for teachers and for students) throughout the county.[5]
The first rodeo was held on land donated by Henry O. Partin, a legendary rancher in Kissimmee who, at one point in time, owned 60,000 acres of land in Osceola County. In 1949, the Riding Club bought a 15-acre parcel of land (to which they added an additional 7.5 acres the following year), and built a stadium, stands, and a concession area. In 2003, the club built a new indoor stadium, the Silver Spurs Arena, which features luxury seats and bar service.[6]
During the late 1980s, the rodeo was one of the fifty largest rodeos in the United States, with a purse of approximately US$60,000. By 2005, however, attendance at had dropped slightly,[7] and as of 2009, the purse had declined to approximately $50,000.[8] The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association does not list the Silver Spur Rodeo in their top 50 rodeo listing for 2009.[9] As the demographics of the region change, with more Hispanic residents moving into the area, the rodeo has moved to increase its appeal to the new residents; it held its first Latin rodeo in 2005, weaving salsa and hip-hop music into its traditional events.
In 1994, the Silver Spurs Rodeo was designated as the Official State Rodeo by the Florida Legislature.