South Dakota State University rodeo athletes kick off season with home rodeo

By Ariana Schumacher

April 08, 2023 at 5:30 AM

Rodeo fans and contestants from across the Great Plains braved the winter weather to fill the stands at the Swiftel Center in Brookings, South Dakota, for the 67th Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo.

South Dakota State University rodeo athletes kicked off their spring season with their home rodeo, welcoming around 275 competitors from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

This rodeo brings in crowds of between 3,500 or 4,500 spectators to the stands.

We talked to Chance Grill, Rayha Richert and Ron Skovly about the rodeo.

By Ariana Schumacher

Ariana is a reporter for Agweek based out of South Dakota. She graduated from South Dakota State University in 2022 with a double major in Agricultural Communications and Journalism, with a minor in Animal Science. She is currently a graduate student at SDSU, working towards her Masters of Mass Communications degree. She enjoys reporting on all things agriculture and sharing the stories that matter to both the producers and the consumers.