PRCA for the Record: Caldwell Night Rodeo

By Matt Naber

The Caldwell (Idaho) Night Rodeo was the first rodeo in the Pacific Northwest to be held under lights. Since, the arena has been lit up by many record-setting rides.

Lee Akin’s entry in the Caldwell record book shines brightest as the bull rider has maintained two records for 18 years. In 2001, Akin scored a 94-point ride which helped him set the two-head average record of 183 points.

Akin was a three-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (1997, 2000-01) and won nearly half a million dollars during his ProRodeo career that spanned from 1995-2006. Born in Long Island, N.Y., Akin won some of ProRodeo’s biggest competitions, including the Cody (Wyo.) Stampede in 2000 and the Dodge Truck Series in 1997.

Entering its 85th year of competition, the Caldwell Night Rodeo became a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo in 1949 (at the time, the PRCA was known as the Rodeo Cowboys Association) and is one of the final 10 stops on the ProRodeo Tour.

Cowboys will have a chance to break Akin’s records, and the rest, Aug. 13-17.

Rodeo records

• Total payout: $306,632, 2007
• All-around: $10,944, Trevor Brazile, 2008
• Bareback riding: 91 points, Steven Dent, 2008
• Steer wrestling: 3.5 seconds, Rod Currin, 1986; Casey McMillen, 2007; Kyle Irwin, 2017 (11.3/3, Rowdy Parrott, 2017)
• Team roping: 3.8 seconds, Colter Todd/Cesar de la Cruz, 2007; Garrett Tonozzi/Caleb Twisselman, 2007 (14.5/3, Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper, 2014)
• Saddle bronc riding: 91 points, Shaun Stroh, 2010
• Tie-down roping: 6.9 seconds, Blair Burk, 2011 (23.8/3, Justin Maass, 2012; Cory Solomon, 2013)
• Barrel racing: 16.68 seconds, Stevi Hillman, 2017 (50.69/3, Stevi Hillman, 2017)
• Bull riding: 94 points, Lee Akin, 2001 (183/2, Lee Akin, 2001)

Courtesy of PRCA