RODEO HISTORY

The Rupununi Rodeo has a rich history, this two day national event as we have now come to know it was started informally about 60 years ago, after the ranchers got together during their large annual roundup-bringing cattle from all over the vast savannahs of the South and North Rupununi, to the Pirara Ranch in the North Rupununi a common meeting point.

The cowboys and ranchers would boast of their skills with the lasso, riding and told tales of their adventures in the savannahs, their boasting was soon put on show, as the news of this annual event reached Georgetown and ranches in Brazil, it was moved to the Government owned research station "Stock Farm" in St Ignatius, where it remained for some time, gaining popularity.

After the event began to out grow this venue, the 'Rupununi Ranchers' Rodeo' name was coined by the RLPA and it was moved in the 1980s to theTabatinga Location where it remains today.

Organizers like Dennis Rodrigues, the late Mohamed Khan, Ivan Atkinson, Sandy and Duane de Freitas and past president Mr. John Macedo who served over ten years, were the persons who had the vision and determination to make RODEO into what it is today, we at the RLPS salute these founding Fathers, we are committed to celebrating the people, animals, land and values that make up the Rupununi.

The Rupununi Ranchers' Rodeo highlights a unique lifestyle that is still vibrant in many parts of the Rupununi, this is one of the largest events in Guyana and draws visitors from all over the world, it is the peak business event for hotels, restaurants, buses and airlines and tour operators, here in Lethem we continue to try our best to represent the interest of the regions livestock producers.