HERMISTON, Ore.-The Farm City Pro Rodeo(FCPR), a premier Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) event is August 12-15 at the rodeo grounds at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center.
FCPR officials held an appreciation dinner for sponsors and volunteers on July 20, providing a preview of the event that continues to attract top rodeo athletes to Hermiston every August.
“We started as a rodeo for cowboys by cowboys and we’ve tried to live by that for years,” said Jon Gill, FCPR Board Member.
The FCPR started in 1988, offering $1,000 in prize money per event, with a total payout of $18,000 and has grown every year since.
Last year, the FCPR doubled its payout, from $25,000 to $50,000 per event, something that didn’t go unnoticed on the rodeo circuit.
“When we jumped from 25 to 50 a lot of people took notice,” said Gill. “We were asked how we did it by a lot of committees in Vegas at the end of the year. Now prize money is going up at rodeos around the Northwest.”
Now in its 38th year, the FCPR is one of the premier rodeos in the country, ranking number 15 out of 615 rodeos and number 12 for added prize money per event.
Sponsors and volunteers make it happen
Sponsoring the FCPR is a rather exclusive privilege, with a limited number of opportunities available, according to event organizers, a system that cultivates longstanding community support from businesses and organizations, such as Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS), Lamb Weston, and Umatilla Electric Cooperative.
“We’d like to thank some special people tonight for getting us here,” said Gill. “Our sponsors and especially our volunteers, we’re glad to have you. This wouldn’t be possible without you.”
GSHCS is the Signature Sponsor of the FCPR this year. Other sponsors include AWS, Wildhorse Resort and Casino, Sherrell Chevrolet, Lamb Weston, Hodgen Distributing, Inland Development Corporation, LiUNA, and more.
The 2026 Farm-City Pro Rodeo
“From 2024 to 2025 we made a huge jump to become one of the elite rodeos in the nation,” said Gill. “Now we’re raising the bar again in 2026 with an increase in prize money from $50k to $61k per event.”
The FCPR features riding events, including bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riding, as well as timed events, such as tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping, as well as slack events.
The increased prize money also means more rodeo athletes will compete in Hermiston this year, with a record number of entries registered for each event, according to Gill.
New this year, barrel racing slack, with over 100 contestants, has been moved to the night of Tuesday, August 11.
The top ten from slack events on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be back for nighttime performances.
Over the four nights of rodeo the FCPR will also hold spotlight nights, including Family Night August 12, Youth and Agriculture Night August 13, First Responders Night on August 14, and Saturday, August 15 is Champions Night at Farm-City Pro Rodeo.
The FCPR will also donate $1 for every ticket sold on First Responders Night to Tunnel to Towers, a nonprofit that works to provide housing for veterans and first responders.
“We crown champions on Saturday night,” said Gill. “It makes for a tremendous show, hopefully we can fill up and sell out.”
The FCPR is August 12-15, with the rodeo starting at 7:45 p.m. each night. Tickets are available online or by calling the FCPR box office at 541.564.8500.
