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While many in the Bay Area celebrated Fourth of July with fireworks, drone shows and barbecue, in the town of Woodside, people from across the state gathered to watch the 73rd annual July Fourth Woodside Junior Rodeo.
Over 160 contestants between the ages of 6 to 18 participated in 27 events while about 3,000 people watched according to organizers, who said it was one of the largest crowds ever.
The rodeo is organized by the San Mateo County Mounted Patrol, an organization formed in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor to patrol the coastline of San Mateo County on horseback. It is held at the patrol’s 23-acre facility located down the street from $50 million homes.
Wranglers distract the bull at the Woodside Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
Young Cowboys hang out on the sidelines after competing at the 73rd annual Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
A young bullrider tries to make eight seconds at the 73rd annual Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
Young participants and their guardians gather before the Pig Scramble at the the 73rd annual Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
Contestants practice before their events at the 73rd annual Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers.
“The event this year was exceptionally smooth with no major injuries or delays. The success in the rodeo is all in the planning which takes months and then to the execution of the plan the day of,” Anthony Riccardi, chairman of the junior rodeo, said.
For some, it’s a family tradition like Kendra Blundell. She runs the rodeo royalty.
“I was a little girl being led on a pony around barrels in this arena,” she recalled. “Both of my parents were successful rodeo athletes in their own right, who had children who grew up to love rodeo and now my brother and I both have children who do rodeo.
“It’s these kinds of traditions that propel us forward. We live in an area where this is much less common and it’s something that we believe in and we’re passionate about,” said Blundell.
Blundell is a third generation Woodside resident. She competed at the Woodside rodeo when she was a kid and did every event open to girls but is a “barrel racer at heart.”
“The rodeo is especially important because it is one of the few dedicated to just junior riders. So many kids get to participate in so many events, it makes us really unique,” Riccardi said.
In addition to the athletes, some lucky winners are crowned Rodeo Royalty.
Luca, one of the winners of the Pig Scramble, shows off his medal at the Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
Brothers Christian and Brain Farjardo (left to right), attend the 73rd annual Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
Alyssa MacDougall and her son take a break in the shade at the 73rd annual Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
Ricky Aguilar, attends Woodside Jr Rodeo for the first time with his family on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers. 
Ricky Aguilar’s son poses for a portrait at the 73rd annual Junior Rodeo in Woodside on July 4, 2025. Photo by Lizzy Myers.
“Our rodeo queens are our ambassadors. They’re the girls who bridge between the rodeo and the public,” Blundell said. “They’re our face and they do a wonderful job. They go to the parade and represent us at other rodeos as well.”
Contestants compete in a pageant to have a chance to join the royalty. They compete in horsemanship and a personal interview in addition to being quizzed on rodeo.
“We test their rodeo knowledge. They have some questions on equine science and tack (equipment used for riding and working with horses) and then they’re scored by a panel of three judges who do rodeo contests,” Blundell said.
This year’s rodeo queen was Emma Slocum, a Redwood City resident.
“I’ve always been a part of the Woodside Pony Club and a ton of my friends when they were younger were rodeo princesses. And I thought it was super cool. So I hoped when I was old enough, I could apply to be rodeo queen,” Slocum said.
Slocum’s favorite part of equestrianism is going on trail rides and spending time with her horse, Tide.
“It’s such a fun place to be, and I think it’s a really nice place to meet new people and build a community, especially mounted patrol,” she added.
Participants also feel the Woodside rodeo stands out.
“I’ve always liked rodeo and especially steer riding. I don’t know. I just always liked it. I just like the roughness,” Colton Cox, an Oakdale resident, said. He placed first in breakaway rope and second in steer riding, the main event of the rodeo.
In steer riding, participants try to ride a bull for eight seconds and are scored based on their performance.
Cox’s brother also participated. “My favorite event is breakaway because you get to ride a horse and I like the rodeo because I get to see my friends,” Carson Cox said.
While both of the boys have become avid rodeo participants, it was a new thing for their parents.
“Neither one of us were involved in rodeo but we grew up in the country. We always had horses. So (my kids) were always around horses. Colton always had a rope in his hand and wanted to do rodeo,” Jocelyn Cox, Carson and Colton’s mother, said.
“They both play multiple sports but this was the one that we made them wait until they were older, now it’s Colton’s favorite. It can be very dangerous so we wanted to make sure that they were bolder and stronger and also had better horsemanship,” Jocelyn Cox said. “The Woodside Rodeo is the kids’ favorite. They love the crowd and the organizers do a wonderful job.”
“My personal favorite moment was the awards ceremony. I love hearing all of the contestants cheer and root for each other as they get their buckles,” Riccardi said.
“We got an advertisement sent to our home and we hadn’t been before. We’ve been to other rodeos but not this one. Our kids did the pony ride. I recommend other people check it out but make sure to come earlier because it can get hot and bring cash,” Redwood City residents Ricky and Angel Aguilera said.
The weather at this year’s rodeo was much better than last year’s. The day’s high was 74 degrees compared to last year where it reached 90 degrees.
Other parents also brought their kids and some had them compete it the rodeo’s well-known pig scramble, where young kids try to catch piglets.
“It’s my first time at the Woodside rodeo. We heard about it from friends and we have little kids so we wanted to check it out. Its been amazing so far. My kids are really excited about watching other kids ride horses. They also did the pig scramble,” San Jose resident Alyssa MacDougall said.
While her kids did not catch a pig, they were “close but not quite there. Maybe next time,” she said.
While pig scrambles are common across the United States, some Woodside residents have called on the town council to ban the event. There was a small demonstration outside the event when it was starting.
“The rodeo is not designed or meant to harm animals. There are actually more animal lovers in the world of rodeo than anywhere else on the planet. These are people that care for their animals like you wouldn’t believe. People care for horses and cattle and all their livestock. For a lot of people, it’s a way of life,” said Riccardi.
