Black Rodeo returns to Kansas City with expanded schedule for its second year
The Kansas City Invitational Black Rodeo will return to Hale Arena this summer with expanded programming after last year’s inaugural event drew a sold-out crowd and demonstrated a strong appetite for Black rodeo culture in the metro.
Organizers have added a third performance for this year’s event, expanding from the two-show format that debuted in 2025. The rodeo will feature performances on Friday evening and two shows on Saturday, a move that reflects the growing popularity of the event among both longtime rodeo enthusiasts and first-time attendees.
For Daniel Bey, a Kansas City, Kansas, horseman and team roper who competed in last year’s event, the expansion is a clear sign that the rodeo resonated with the community.
“As we can see, they’ve added one more show to this year’s schedule,” Bey said. “So that just lets you know how great of an experience it was for Kansas City.”
Last year’s rodeo sold out weeks before competitors ever entered the arena, bringing hundreds of spectators to the West Bottoms for a celebration of rodeo competition, Black cowboy culture and Western heritage. For many attendees, it was their first opportunity to experience a Black rodeo in Kansas City.
The growth of the event comes as interest in Black rodeo culture continues to expand throughout the region. While many residents viewed last year’s rodeo as something new, Bey said Kansas City has a deeper history with Black rodeo than many people realize.
Before Black rodeos disappeared from the local calendar, cowboys and cowgirls from around the country regularly traveled to Kansas City to compete. Bey remembers a time when rodeo events were common throughout the area and served as gathering places for competitors and families alike.
“It was really great because it used to be like that back in the early ‘90s and late ‘80s,” Bey said. “Black cowboys and cowgirls from all over the country used to come to Kansas City quite a bit. We had two or three rodeos a year in Kansas City.”
That historical connection is one reason Bey was not surprised when tickets disappeared so quickly last year. He believes many people had been waiting for the return of an event that celebrates a largely overlooked part of American and local history.
The rodeo also introduced many newcomers to Black cowboy culture. Bey said one of the most rewarding parts of last year’s event was watching first-time visitors learn about a tradition that often receives little public attention despite the important role Black cowboys played in the settlement of the American West.
“My favorite part was seeing all the first-time people get to experience the rodeo, especially Black culture,” Bey said. “A lot of people don’t know that all those Black cowboys exist like that. So it was a great experience to see people enjoying it.”
Bey hopes spectators this year take time not only to watch the action in the arena but also to listen to the announcers throughout the performances. He said the commentary offers valuable insight into the competitors, their accomplishments and the history of the sport.
“I would like people to really pay attention to the announcers because you gain a lot of knowledge about this sport and the cowboys and cowgirls if you just listen closely to what the announcers are saying,” Bey said.
The growth of the Kansas City rodeo is also being mirrored elsewhere in the region. This weekend, Topeka will host its first Black rodeo when Top City Riders presents its inaugural event at the Topeka Saddle Club.
For Bey, the emergence of another Black rodeo in the area signals growing public interest and increased awareness of Black Western history. Rather than viewing the events as competitors, he sees them as part of a broader movement to preserve and celebrate a culture that has long existed but has often gone unrecognized.
“I think it’s a great thing,” Bey said. “It’s definitely showing that there’s an interest and that people are really starting to gain knowledge of history because this is part of history. Black cowboys were a big part of the Old West, and I’m just glad to see that people are starting to pay more attention to it.”
Bey will compete in team roping during all three Kansas City performances and expects many of the cowboys and cowgirls he recently saw at a Black rodeo in St. Louis to make the trip to Missouri for the event.
As the Kansas City Invitational Black Rodeo enters its second year, Bey hopes the growing attendance and regional interest continue building momentum. His vision extends beyond a successful weekend. He hopes the event becomes a permanent fixture on the city’s calendar and helps restore Kansas City’s place as a destination for Black rodeo culture.
“We just want folks to come out and experience it and have a good time,” Bey said. “Hopefully this thing keeps on going and it’ll be an annual thing. Hopefully we can get more rodeos added up there in Kansas City like it used to be.”
