Rodeo Recap: 2 Nights of Rank Rides & Benevolent Vibes Under the Big Texas Sky at the Hood County Stampede Charity Rodeo

Hood County Stampede
Jun 13
7 min read

Updated: Jun 16

There’s one thing for certain, the Hood County Stampede knows how to host a rodeo here in Granbury. Since 2017, the organization has been hosting an annual charity rodeo at Reunion Grounds during or around Memorial Day weekend. Each year it gets bigger and better. We pack in the stands, selling out the venue, and this year was no different. The 2025 Hood County Stampede Charity Rodeo weekend event was sponsored by Diversified Energy and in special partnership with Visit Granbury and a heartfelt highlight to first year supporter, Midas of Granbury, benefitting, Be An Angel, DFW, improving the lives of children with special needs, was one for the memory books. If you missed it or just want to reminisce about the electric energy that descended on Granbury Friday, May 23rd and Saturday, May 24th, this post will bring you along for the ride, recapping all of the weekend's best rodeo vibes.

Did you know: You can view here, the official Hood County Stampede Charity Rodeo event posters from each year since our inception in 2017.

Time-Honored Texas Tradition To Lift Up Our Local Community

The double dose of rough stock rodeo action gave guests from near and far a taste of all that Granbury is famous for as the Celebration Capital of Texas and USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Award voted 2025 Best Historic Small Town in America. Guests celebrated (pun intended ☺️) and enjoyed a time-honored Texas tradition, rodeo, while supporting our mission.

Hood County Stampede Charity Rodeo Weekend Recap. Video Credit: Britton Hardcastle

Friday night's Bares, Broncs, & Bulls Futurity Rodeo brought the thunder with all three rough stock events for our packed crowd to enjoy. However, Saturday night’s PRCA event brought out the heavy hitters. The PRCA Bareback-Exclusive Charity Rodeo, Rockin’ The Riggin’, delivered the biggest names in professional bareback riding, matched up with some of the rankest bucking stock in Western sports. Including bucking horses from notable PRCA stock contractors; Stockyards ProRodeo, Rocky Mountain Rodeo, Rafter H Rodeo Livestock, Rafter S Rodeo Company, and Lancaster & Cude Pro Rodeo. Along with top contenders, like last year’s winner and local favorite, Rocker Steiner, plus a long lineup of NFR qualifiers including Garrett Shadbolt, Bradlee Miller, Cole Franks, Jayco Roper, Tanner Aus, and many more.

Photo Credit For Slideshow: © Sunset Photography

Patriotic & Purposeful Opening Ceremonies

Opening ceremonies set the scene both nights for a truly electric event. With the Liberty & Loyalty Foundation group of former armed services and law enforcement members on horseback we gave tribute, recognizing on Memorial Day Weekend, all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. The always adorable Jet Greene, son of HCS pickup man Preston Johnson, rode into the arena with ol’ glory as the national anthem played, before Summer Boyd lapped the arena with the American flag, shooting sparks into the sky, revving up the crowd both nights to kick-off the performances.

Video Credit: © Small Town America

Photo Credit: © Hood County News | Layth Taylor

We’ve Made It To the Live Stream

Both nights our stands were packed, and the energy was high. For the first time, we were live on the Cowgirl Channel which brought some extra exposure for bucking chute sponsors Lucky’s Flooring, Flippin Custom Homes, FNB, Ag Trust Farm Credit, Shelby Flooring, and Boot Barn. For those with the Cowboy Channel Plus app you can watch the live recording of the Hood County Stampede’s Saturday night performance.

Special Scholarship Shoutout for New Red Raider

During Saturday's Rockin' The Riggin performance, in between the go-round rides we kept with the benevolent vibes! Staying true to our mission, the Hood County Stampede Board of Directors was proud to award local 2025 Tolar High School graduate, Allyson Dobbs with a $1,500 annual scholarship to support her college education at Texas Tech University. Ally has volunteered and served with the Hood County Stampede for her entire high school career. She has generously dedicated her time and talents to help us serve the community, both behind the scenes for, and at, countless Hood County Stampede events and community outreach initiatives. Her dedication, leadership, and heart for service perfectly reflect the spirit of our mission, making her a truly deserving recipient. This fall, Ally will begin her journey at Texas Tech, where she plans to pursue a degree in pre-med with dreams of becoming a pediatrician or working in children’s healthcare. We can’t wait to see the incredible impact she’ll make in the world!

Allyson Dobbs receiving a check for her scholarship from the Hood County Stampede at the rodeo in the arena in front of the crowd.

Settling The Tie Hood County Stampede Style

If you were in attendance on Saturday night you got the extra impromptu entertainment of Bradlee Miller and Garrett Shadbolt settling their tie via leg wrestling! Bradlee Miller on Rafter S Rodeo Company’s Witchcraft and Garrett Shadbolt on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Cat Socks both took home the win with 88-point rides. However, in front of thousands and maybe for the first time in rodeo history the athletes decided the winner via leg wrestling — and it’s exactly the kind of magic that only happens at the Hood County Stampede. An extra thank you goes out to Lucky’s Flooring, one of the Stampede's most supportive benefactors, for sponsoring the contestant awards, in addition to their bucking chute and VIP box sponsorship, helping us crown not one, but two champions.

We believe in lifting up and promoting the businesses that not only do business here—but also take an active role in contributing to the needs of the community around them.

Energetic Rodeo Entertainment In Between Go-Rounds

Ladies Dominating The Mutton Bustin'

Each night had its own charm — from Rockin’ Robbie Hodges, our unpredictable and hilarious rodeo clown, to the young stars of Mutton Bustin’, proudly sponsored by Parker County Cowboy Church (Friday) and Tilson Custom Home Builders (Saturday). Shoutout to the girls who showed up and showed out — three of our four Mutton Bustin’ champions were cowgirls this year!

Winning Mutton Bustin' Ride on Saturday Night at Rockin' The Riggin' Charity Rodeo

Trick Riding Is a Family Affair At HCS

Tranquility Build made their debut as our Specialty Act Sponsor and brought the unforgettable Summer & Company, Summer Boyd and her daughters, Emmie & Jins, for a two-night trick riding showcase that kept the crowd cheering and holding their breath in awe.

Photo Credit: © Hood County News | Layth Taylor

Banner ad for Tranquility Build, pool builders in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area, that shows their sponsorship for the Hood County Stampede trick riding act with photos of Summer Boyd & daughters doing their trick riding on their horses — Thank you to Tranquility Build for supporting the Hood County Stampede as our specialty act sponsor this year. They are supporting our event and mission for the first time this year. We look forward to collaborating with them on future events and initiatives that give back to our community. Support businesses that support the community they operate in. Learn more about Tranquility Build, Pool And Outdoor Space Specialists.

Caution: Balls Will Fly by Your Nose At HCS

And just when you thought the rodeo couldn’t get better, the crowd hears, “get out your balls!” We won't leave that up for interpretation. Thanks to our raffle & cooler sponsors; Flowco Production Solutions, Pinnergy, and Ferrell Gas— guests were given the opportunity to buy foam balls for the ball toss raffle. The audience obliged and lit up the arena each night, with families and friends trying their luck, aiming to win a Yeti cooler and helping us raise money to support our mission and beneficiary. Simple fun, big smiles, lasting impact.

After-Party Like a Cowboy

Thanks to Bright View Windows, Doors & Window Coverings, both nights ended with live music down on the arena floor with incredible talent. If you opted out of bottleneck traffic exiting the parking lot and stayed to hear some tunes and have a few drinks, you either enjoyed Myla on Friday night, who kept the vibes high, or were serenaded by Ross Cooper Saturday night, who closed out the weekend playing crowd favorite covers and some of his originals like, “Everyone Wants to Be a Cowboy.” It was the kind of moment that sticks with you — when the music plays, the arena lights glow, and everyone feels like they are a part of something special.

The Hood County Stampede crew group shot in front of the stage with Ross Cooper playing music in the background — They planned it, prepped it, ran it, and then they toasted to it. The team that brought it all together celebrating one unforgettable weekend the best way we know how—by having fun! At the end of the night on Saturday the team shut it down with music, laughter, and a cheers to another successful year giving back & making memories!

That's exactly what the Hood County Stampede is — something special. A rodeo where world champs and rookies ride side by side. Where every ticket is contributing to local children in need here in Hood County. And where a small north Texas town becomes the center of the rodeo universe, if only for a day or two.

But don’t hang your hat up just yet...

Diamonds & Denim Fundraising Gala

Our next chapter is already in the works. We are taking sponsorship commitments for next year's rodeo. Or if you don't want to wait until next year to get your fill of the cowboy lifestyle, pick out your best rodeo-chic, western formal attire, and reserve a table or commit to a sponsorship package for the Diamonds & Denim Fundraising Gala this fall on Saturday, October 4, 2025.

The 2025 Hood County Stampede Diamonds & Denim Fundraising Gala is sponsored by Diversified Energy benefitting Be An Angel, DFW. Our gala is a more intimate and exclusive western-style special event compared to our charity rodeo. However, all are invited to put on your flashy, upscale, "rodeo-chic" attire, as we call it, and join us at Silverado on the Brazos at the Steiner family’s private ranch, Rockin’ XS in Weatherford.

The entrance gate and overhead sign to the Rockin' XS ranch in Silverado on the Brazos in Weatherford, TX

At the gala you can expect to enjoy a high-energy rodeo showcase, a.k.a. the Hood County Stampede Showdeo, live and silent auctions in addition to an athlete calcutta auction for the showdeo, plated dinner from renowned Fort Worth chef-driven catering company Magdalena’s, dancing to live music from south Texas native Roger Creager who is an award winning singer/songwriter, along with so much more. At a Hood County Stampede event you just never know who will show up, what might be donated to get auctioned off, or what will happen! You just know it’s always going to be a Texas-sized, grand ol' good time!

Reader Beware!

Anyone who has joined us for a Diamonds & Denim Gala can attest to the side effects of opting out and not attending includes severe acute FOMO!

Table reservations and sponsorships are available and on sale now as of the publish date on this post. Let's keep the energy from the rodeo going and continue to lift up our community, serve our mission, and get a little Western in the process. 🤠 It is Texas afterall!