OUR HISTORY
ABOUT USGLADEWATER
ROUND-UP RODEO
A Texas Tradition of Thrills, Family, and Friendship!
The Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctioned rodeo located in Gladewater, TX. Our mission is to raise funds to provide scholarships to deserving seniors in our area who are actively involved in agricultural activities, such as FFA or 4-H.
OUR MISSION
Our mission at the Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo is to provide scholarships to deserving seniors in our are who display exceptional leadership skills, through programs such as FFA, 4H, and others, by way of America’s toughest sport on dirt – rodeo!
SINCE 1939 OUR HISTORY
The Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo was founded in 1937 by J.N. “Jack” Yates, a Sioux Indian from North Dakota who moved to Gladewater during the oil boom. A World War I veteran, Yates had previously organized the first rodeo in France for American soldiers and sought to bring that same excitement to his new Texas home. With the support of local citizens and businesses, he built the original rodeo arena from lumber. Due to the rodeo’s early success, the arena was rebuilt using steel just two years later.
Over the years, the Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo has gained national recognition and has been ranked among the top ten percent of rodeos in the country. In 1971, our rodeo made history when Johnny Quintana scored an incredible 98 points in the bull riding event—a record that held for three years.
Many legendary rodeo athletes have competed in our arena, including Don Gay, J.B. Mauney, Sage Kimzey, Lane Frost, Ty Murray, Trevor Brazile, and Jackie Crawford. The Gladewater Rodeo Arena was also home to NFR Reserve World Champion, Deb Mohon. Today, our rodeo continues to attract the best in the sport while staying true to its deep-rooted traditions.