The City of Cripple Creek and Top of the World Rodeo Committee proudly present the Cripple Creek GOLD RUSH Rodeo. For over a decade, Top of The World Rodeo has been sanctioned a CPRA (Colorado Professional Rodeo Association) rodeo. In 2025 the rodeo is being rebranded the Cripple Creek Gold Rush Rodeo in honor of the area’s rich mining history. The goal of our event is to bring together the excite
ment of a professional rodeo in honor of our western heritage while also celebrating the historic mining history of our World’s Greatest Gold Camp district. Before the discovery of gold ore by prospectors Bob Womack and Winfield Scott Stratton, which changed the area forever, the City was home to a multitude of cattle ranches. Today, Cripple Creek is still the home of cattle ranching families, and our rodeo celebrates the rich Western heritage and spirit that stems from the working skills of cowboys. In 1895, the Town of Gillett, which is just outside Cripple Creek, hosted what is believed to be the only bullfight ever held in the US, with four bullfighters imported from Mexico and an arena built to seat thousands. In the early 1900’s, an indoor rodeo was held at the Grand Opera House. The Cripple Creek area was also home to world famous cowboys Smoky Snyder and Larry Mahan, who were simultaneously inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Rodeo in 1979. Snyder won five world bull riding championships and two world bareback titles, while Mahan captured five consecutive world all-around titles from 1966-70 and a sixth all-around title in 1973. Larry Mahan honored the Top of the World Rodeo by serving as our Grand Marshall for many years. Today, the City of Cripple Creek and the Top of the World Rodeo Committee are proud to continue the long tradition of rodeo with top contestants pushing themselves and their livestock to the edge. Please plan to join us the second weekend of June for this historic event!!!!
