Rascal Rodeo: Free Adaptive Rodeos for People With Disabilities Across Six States

Four participants. About twenty volunteers. A high school senior project that almost didn't happen. That was 2001, and it was the quiet beginning of what would eventually become Rascal Rodeo—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit now operating across six states, producing adaptive rodeo events free of charge for people of all ages with mental and physical disabilities.

The founder had heard of something others called the Exceptional Rodeo and saw in it a chance to serve a population that, as she put it, had usually been told no and segregated from the community. The first event was modest. It wasn't until 2010 that she organized another one, formalized the organization, and watched it grow from there.

Today, Rascal Rodeo travels to communities where opportunities like this are rare—particularly on the West Coast, where one participant's family described the event as one in a million. The centerpiece is horseback riding, but the day includes a range of activities designed to be accessible and genuinely enjoyable. For participants who use wheelchairs, the chance to leave that chair behind and get up on the back of a horse carries a weight that's difficult to put into words.

Parents have approached the organizers in tears, overwhelmed by how accepted and included their family members feel. That reaction, repeated at event after event, is what the organization points to when asked why they do it.

None of it happens without volunteers. Rascal Rodeo depends on thousands of them each year—people who pin on nametags, hand out t-shirts, and bring their own horses for rides. No prior rodeo experience is required. As the founder says, you just have to have a heart. At a recent event, her 88-year-old father was among those volunteering, a detail she mentioned with visible emotion.

The events remain free to participants and always will be. Funding comes entirely from sponsors and donations, making the volunteer base not just helpful but essential to the organization's survival and reach.