1937 View of Woodward's Amusement Park,
 now known as Crystal Beach Stadium & Park

The 79^th Annual Woodward Elks Rodeo has progressed a long way from the first rodeo that was staged at Woodward on July 4, 1929!  The first rodeo was held in a pasture, three miles northeast of Woodward.  The rodeo was to be held in conjunction with a baseball game, as a Fourth of July celebration.  Plans were carefully laid, and an appropriation of $50 was budgeted for expenses of the show.  When the original committee went further into the business of producing a rodeo, they found that they would need cattle chutes, bronc chutes, judges’ stands and a fence to protect the spectators.  The committee, made up of Luther Shobe, a Woodward businessman, L.O. Street, a grain dealer, and his son, H.L. Street, and Albert Nashelsky, another merchant, decided to go ahead.  What they planned for a $50 rodeo turned out to cost $3,500.00!

          The first rodeo was received with good response and the committee felt that with the proper cooperation from the Woodward citizens it could be made into an annual affair.  Early in 1930, plans were made to have the rodeo again on July 4^th. The committee secured the services of George Howlett, Shattuck, Oklahoma, to serve as manager; J.O. Selman was chairman of the Elks Rodeo Committee; and Lonnie Blascett, Pampa, Texas, was the Arena Director.

          Along came the year 1931 and the Woodward Rodeo had grown in such proportions that those in charge decided to rent the rodeo steers and invest their own money for the calves.  J.O. Selman was appointed Arena Director that year, a position that he would hold for years, and Dr. C.R. Donley was appointed secretary.  These men saw that the original grounds with a seating capacity of only 1,000 persons, was far out-dated and entirely too small to accommodate the quickly growing attendance.

          From the original location northeast of Woodward, the rodeo was moved to the new location at Woodward’s Amusement City, now known as Crystal Beach Park. At that time, Crystal Beach Park was on the southeast edge of the city limits. The Park consists of 165 acres, with another 80 acres leased and is owned and operated by the City of Woodward. It includes a golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, ball parks, stables and the rodeo arena.  A concrete and steel grandstand was built with available arena bleachers that had a seating capacity of over 8,000 people.

          In 1934, an amateur rodeo was held with no purse given but began the Elks Rodeo Queen tradition with the crowning of Miss Thurlene Trego.  The rodeo was made up entirely of local rodeo talent. The following year, 1935, the Elks Lodge decided to send several members to the Cheyenne, Wyoming Rodeo, the “Daddy” of all rodeos, and then also to the Pendleton, Oregon Round-Up, to study operations of a big-time rodeo. Upon their return it was decided to plan a national advertising campaign to show the world that Woodward, Oklahoma could put on a rodeo as tough and as competitive as any, and history has proved that to be true.

          In 1936 the rodeo at Woodward was ranked the third largest rodeo in the United States, according to attendance, type of stock, and contestants who attended.  The Woodward Elk Rodeo now attracts between 20,000 and 30,000 interested fans to its four day event in July.

The 79^th Annual Woodward Elks Rodeo has progressed a long way from the first rodeo that was staged at Woodward on July 4, 1929!  The first rodeo was held in a pasture, three miles northeast of Woodward.  The rodeo was to be held in conjunction with a baseball game, as a Fourth of July celebration.  Plans were carefully laid, and an appropriation of $50 was budgeted for expenses of the show.  When the original committee went further into the business of producing a rodeo, they found that they would need cattle chutes, bronc chutes, judges’ stands and a fence to protect the spectators.  The committee, made up of Luther Shobe, a Woodward businessman, L.O. Street, a grain dealer, and his son, H.L. Street, and Albert Nashelsky, another merchant, decided to go ahead.  What they planned for a $50 rodeo turned out to cost $3,500.00!