Ranch rodeos are enjoying a growing fan base nationally

Reporter's note: Since I first heard about ranch rodeos, three or four years ago, I've wanted to attend one. Recently my wife and I went to the Phillips County Fair, in Dodson, to see our first ranch rodeo. Locals say a ranch rodeo has been held each of the last several years in Malta but this was the first one held at Dodson as part of the county fair.

I've learned fan interest in ranch rodeos is burgeoning nationally. The attendance at the combined ranch rodeo and Indian relay races at Dodson drew a sizable crowd. An official with the Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE-based i...