Community Rallies Behind Inaugural No Bull Equipment Rodeo
When the idea for the first No Bull Equipment Rodeo began taking shape, organizers envisioned heavy equipment operators putting their skills to the test while families watched excavators, backhoes and skid loaders tackle challenges rarely seen outside a job site.
Turning that idea into an actual event has required something else: a community willing to get behind it.
With the inaugural No Bull Equipment Rodeo approaching, businesses and organizations from throughout the mountain area and beyond have stepped forward to provide equipment, activities, entertainment and financial support for the Sept. 12 event at the Coarsegold Rodeo Grounds.
For organizer Jennifer Rogers, founder and executive director of The Perspectives Project, that support has helped transform an unusual idea into a full-scale community event.
Building the Rodeo Together
While dozens of businesses and organizations have stepped forward to support the inaugural event, H and H Works has had a different role from the beginning.
The 2026 No Bull Equipment Rodeo was envisioned and created by The Perspectives Project in partnership with H and H Works, with all funds raised benefiting The Perspectives Project.
That partnership has extended into the nuts and bolts of building the event.
Rogers says H and H Works has helped create and organize the equipment competitions, secure equipment and work through the many details required to turn the idea of an equipment rodeo into an actual arena competition.
“They have really been my partner in taking this crazy vision of an equipment rodeo and actually making it happen,” Rogers said.
H and H Works is also sponsoring one of the day’s biggest prizes — the No Bull Grand Champion belt buckle.
Competitors entering at least three events are eligible to compete for the Grand Champion title, championship buckle, sponsor prize package and, perhaps just as importantly, bragging rights.
Sponsors Bring More Than Their Names
Support for the rodeo extends well beyond signs around the arena.
Several sponsors are directly responsible for activities and entertainment visitors will experience throughout the day.
My Club — Mountain Area Youth Organization is bringing the Kid’s Zone, while Lepley Trees is sponsoring the Excavator Experience, where attendees can get an up-close look at the kind of equipment at the center of the day’s competition.
JMT Construction is bringing the Bucking Bull Experience, while Mel Barker 4 Supervisor is sponsoring live music by JADED.
The current event schedule has gates opening at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Grand Entry and National Anthem at 11:30 a.m. Heavy equipment competition begins at noon, with awards scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and JADED performing from 6 to 9 p.m.
A Long List of Community Support
Presenting sponsors for the inaugural rodeo include:
Papé Machinery, Yosemite Foothills, Coarsegold Rodeo, Harris Equipment Company, Pioneer Equipment, McCaffrey Homes and the Eastern Madera County Fire Safe Council.
And we might be a little biased here, but Sierra News Online is proud to be a Loader Level sponsor, joining Tom Bohna Ranch, The Lodge at Two Moons and Sierra Sky Ranch in supporting the inaugural event.
Excavator Level sponsors include:
My Club, Lepley Trees, JMT Construction, Mel Barker 4 Supervisor, Caglia Environmental, Talley Transportation, United Rentals, FCON3 Inc., Miller’s Landing Resort, Stewards of the Sierra National Forest and EMADCO.
Additional businesses and organizations are supporting the rodeo at other sponsorship levels and as community partners.
For Rogers, seeing that list grow has become part of the story of the inaugural event.
The businesses aren’t simply supporting a day of competition. Proceeds from the No Bull Equipment Rodeo benefit The Perspectives Project, the nonprofit organization behind the event. The organization works with youth and adults through programs focused on resilience, emotional well-being, connection and helping participants see new possibilities in their lives.
Competitor Field Reaches Capacity
Community interest isn’t limited to sponsors.
Organizers say the competitor lineup for the inaugural rodeo has now officially reached capacity.
Applications are still being accepted for a waitlist in case a spot becomes available. Rogers says the waitlist will also give organizers contact information for operators interested in participating next year, when they’re already considering the possibility of expanding the rodeo into a two-day event.
That’s a significant change from earlier this summer, when organizers were still searching for operators willing to take a chance on an event that had never been held before.
Now, with opening day approaching, the field is full.
Almost Time to Fire Up the Equipment
The inaugural No Bull Equipment Rodeo takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Coarsegold Rodeo Grounds.
Gates will now open at 10:30 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than previously announced, giving spectators additional time to enter and get settled before the Grand Entry at 11:30 a.m.
Organizers are encouraging attendees to purchase tickets in advance. Advance tickets cost less than gate admission, and pre-purchased ticket holders will have access to a Fast Pass for quicker entry.
Volunteers are also still needed as organizers make final preparations.
Event schedules, ticket information, parking details, volunteer opportunities and other updates are available through the No Bull Equipment Rodeo website.
What began as an idea to celebrate the skill of heavy equipment operators while supporting a local nonprofit is now approaching opening day with a full competitor field and a long list of businesses and organizations behind it.
For the inaugural No Bull Equipment Rodeo, building the event has become a community project of its own.