The cowboy way: Rodeo 250 in the nation’s capital showcases western heritage
Binion Cervi has met the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture two times.
Once when he provided a horse for her to ride in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and next when he…again…provided her a horse. This time for the Rodeo 250 on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
The meetings were impactful to say the least.
“I put her on a horse for the grand entry in Houston, the world’s largest rodeo. We were sitting there talking and I said, ‘Miss Brooke, why can’t we do something cowboy for the America 250? America wouldn’t be America without cowboys,'” said stock contractor Binion Cervi of Cervie Championship Rodeo, Sterling, Colorado.
“She said, ‘can you do something in the National Mall?’ I had no idea what the hell the National Mall was, but I said, ‘we can do anything you want,'” recalls Cervi.
“I didn’t know what the mall was, but I was going to find out. I wasn’t going to pass any once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase rodeo and our western way of life, with a supportive administration,” Cervi told TSLN.
When Cervi flew to Washington, D.C., to get a better look at the location for his rodeo, he swallowed hard. “They gave me a 40 foot by 180 foot long strip, I said ‘We’ve got to be able to do something with that.'”
Binion’s wife, Hannah, who was not raised in the rodeo world, told him he needed to help the spectators understand “what a cowboy is.”
“So that’s what we’re doing. We’re telling a story. It’s been really, really well-received,” he said.
Cervi said in a Fox News interview that he remains focused on his western heritage in part because he desires to see it passed on to the next generation, his children Reagan and Reese.
From June 25 through July 10, a free one-hour daily presentation gives attendees a taste of rodeo through the years, with an opening prayer, trick riders, roman riders, trick ropers, descriptions of several events, and Will Stites riding a saddle bronc and 18-year-old Nick Jackson riding a bull to finish each night with a bang.
Jackson, a Maryland native, will attend an Alpine, Texas college on a full-ride rodeo scholarship this fall, explained Cervi. Getting all of the different performers together- none of whom were familiar with one another – has been meaningful to Cervi. “People are asking us, how long have you known each other?”
“I don’t take this opportunity for granted. We’re not trying to break records with crowds like we do for most rodeos, we’re trying to break records with boundaries. The support for agriculture coming out of this administration is unheard of. You look out at the crowd and you see every walk of life out there. I really feel like this celebration and this event is accomplishing things. We’re opening doors in this industry in more ways then we’ll every truly realize,” said Cervi.
“We took a stagecoach in front of the capitol building when we opened the fair. I think we’re going to take Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and give him a ride in it. This is just unheard of,” said Cervi.
Will Stites
When a Pennsylvania man sets his mind to becoming a professional saddle bronc rider, the future is unknown. But even in his wildest dreams Will Stites didn’t predict he would one day spur a bronc on the National Mall in downtown, Washington, D.C.
“I was sitting at work one day and Jeff Lee, who helped organize the Rodeo 250 along with Cervi Championship Rodeo, sent me a message, ‘Hey buddy, you want to make some history?'”
Stites responded, “you know I do.”
“I’m big about trying to teach people about rodeo and he knew that this would be a great opportunity for me to do something like that,” he said.
The rodeo organizer then began describing the vision for Rodeo 250, a “showdeo” event produced by Cervi Championship Rodeo company that would bring the history, culture and traditions of the American West to Washington, D.C. as part of the America 250 celebration.
With a modified rodeo arena smaller significantly smaller than a traditional one, many events are nearly impossible to re-create. Stites explains that the announcer details the finer points of team roping and barrel racing, for example, and then the crowd becomes involved with attempts at dummy roping and stick horse barrel racing for prizes.
The National Mall is a National Park and national memorial that features monuments including the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial and Smithsonian museums. This week, it’s hosting America 250 – a nod to the county fairs and rodeos across the nation that showcase local livestock and bring communities together.
“It’s really cool, I’m not going to lie,” “Stites said.
“It’s really cool to sit up there and watch them go out in front of these people. It gets me excited to get on.”
Although there is no eight-second whistle or points awarded, Stites spurs his bronc like usual to the end of the arena and dismounts with the pickup man, taking special attention to land on his feet if possible.
“These horses are old and smart, they’ll turn a little bit and when they come back the other way, I try to get off when we’re going back toward the bucking chutes,” he explains.
When the event draws to a close, Stites is happy to remain in the arena to answer questions until the last fan leaves. “I was out there for almost an hour the other night, chatting with people and answering questions,” he said.
“Why do I wear chaps? Do I do this for a living? Am I really from Pennsylvania? How much money do I make?” are some of the questions he has fielded.
“It’s really cool to see people who have never seen it before get out here and get to be so close and witness something like this,” he said. Stites has noticed one family in attendance several nights in a row. One evening he visited with a cowboy from Chile, who shared pictures rodeos from local rodeo – that country’s official national sport.
Growing up in Pennsylvania
Stites, whose father briefly rode bulls but made a career training thoroughbred race horses, is no stranger to the world of equines.
“I grew up with my family working at the racetrack all of my life. I trained race horses for a little while and then I started riding broncs,” he said.
“When I was a kid, there was a practice pen near my house. My mom said, get him out of here, he’s got so much energy, get him to do something,” recalls Stites. His dad took him to the neighborhood arena and he helped load steers and do other behind the scenes work. “I just kept showing up and helping. Then one day I decided to get one. I tried bulls a couple of times and decided that wasn’t for me. I took one look at a bareback ride and I was like, that doesn’t look like much fun. I went and bought a saddle and just started riding saddle broncs,” he said.
“I kind of learned the hard way.”
“I fell in love with it the first time I got on one,” he remembers.
His parents were supportive even though his first attempt ended with a broken nose.
“I came off and broke my nose. The very first one. I was busted up with a big old smile. And he was like, oh we’re in trouble,” recalls Stites.
Stites’ father had done a little bull riding, his mother a little barrel racing. But Will took things to another level.
Continuing to ride racehorses for his family’s business has helped Stites with his bronc riding career. In order to stay close to his family, he mostly enters First Frontier Circuit rodeos which take place in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
“I have family and my job and everything to it’s hard for me to travel all over the country to hit the bigger rodeos,” he explained.
“So I really utilize the whole circuit system,” said the two-time circuit champion.
He took part in the ram national circuit finals which transitioned to the NFR Open in 2022. “I got to compete in the very first NFR Open. I think I went to three or four of those,” he remembers.
The NFR Open is a tournament-style summer championship that crowns the national champions of the regional circuit winners. The NFR Open hoses the title winners from each of the 12 circuits and takes place in Colorado Springs each summer.
The rodeos in his circuit mostly take place during the summer, and those tend to be outdoor events, he said.
Held every Saturday from Memorial Day through September, Cowtown in Pilesgrove, New Jersey is the oldest weekly running rodeo in the country.
Stites enjoys that event – not only competing but also interacting with the fans. “That place sells out regularly. It’s a cool rodeo. People are lined up the whole length of the arena trying to get in, waiting to get in. It’s a bucket list rodeo for anyone who hasn’t made it there yet,” he said.
“I like the crowds. They don’t get to see rodeos very often. They are happy no matter what happens; they’re just happy to be at a rodeo,” he said. “They are cheering just as hard for the kid whose getting on his first bronc and maybe makes three jumps as the guy who goes out there and rides for 80 points,” he said.
Stites has talked with fans before the rodeo, even some who thought they didn’t like the concept. “Some of them are real receptive to information. I’ve had people come out there and I’ll talk to them for 10 minutes and they’ll come in and buy tickets to the rodeo and watch it. They are like, ‘you guys really do a good job, and you can tell how much you care about the animals you’re working with.'”
Cowtown Rodeo, Painted Pony Rodeo and All-American Rodeo Company are the main stock contractors in the region.
As for Rodeo 250, Stites is loving every minute. “It’s hard to describe how amazing this is an what a blessing it is for a kid from Pennsylvania.”
“To be a part of rodeo history, to make history in rodeo. It’s just overwhelming at some points. The first time I did it, I got so emotional. It just hit me. We just made history.”
Stites said the crowd has changed “USA, USA” at the conclusion of the event.
Stites hopes people will attend the event if possible, and check out his social media pages “inside the rigging bag” to see more coverage of Rodeo 250.
