I’ve about decided that New Jersey is the most surprising state in the union. I swear each time I cross those bridges, I discover something totally unexpected: sacred Indian lands, a lavender farm, a mini-Sweden (Swedesboro), a Japanese day spa, swamps to paddle, and, most recently, a classic American rodeo in Pilesgrove. And not just a rodeo, but the “oldest weekly professional rodeo in the United States” billed as “The Best Show on Dirt!” Move over Texas, here come the Jersey cows.
The rodeo was started in 1929 by Howard Harris Sr. and his son, Howard “Stoney” Harris Jr., and held annually during the County Fair until 1938. World War II put it on pause until 1955 when Howard “Baldy” Harris III returned from the University of Idaho with the 1954 National Intercollegiate All-Around Rodeo Championship saddle. These three generations of the Harris family worked together to establish what is now known as the Cowtown Rodeo, delivering a weekly dose of the western ranching that is an integral part of American history. With the help of live national television coverage in 1958 and 1959, Cowtown outgrew its original ring and built the 4,000-seat arena which is used today.
Fourth-generation Howard Grant Harris, a former professional cowboy, took the reins in 1978 and still helps run the show with his wife Betsy while living on the “home ranch”. Their two daughters, fifth-generation, married cowboys, and their children (five in total) are carrying on the family tradition. Daughter Katy and husband RJ took over the daily operation reins in 2020. Cowtown also produces rodeos all over the East Coast, from North Carolina to Vermont, and raises most of its bucking stock.
Immersing yourself in Cowtown is stepping back in time to a kinder, gentler nation. The setting sun throws its golden glow on the bowed heads of the hushed crowd when the Announcer kicks off the evening with an invocation. So quiet you could have heard a horsefly land. Then out comes the American Flag held high by a rider on horseback while the Star-Spangled Banner blasts from the loudspeaker, sung by Chris Stapleton. Then the show begins. The events include Bull Riding, Steer Wrestling, Saddle Bronc Riding, Tie Down Roping, Team Roping, and Barrel Racing and are interspersed with corny skits performed by the announcer and the head rodeo clown. I mean corny like 1950s corny: sweet innocent silly fun for the whole family. The riders are men and women of all ages and stages from all over the country. And the sold-out stadium crowd is comprised of several generations of rodeo fans clad in boots and cowboy hats, out for fun on a Saturday night.
Bull Riding is the biggest crowd pleaser. Watching the riders mount the huge animals in the “bucking stalls” is truly exhilarating. The goal is to stay on for eight seconds… which feels like an eternity. The clowns are on hand to distract the raging bull from fallen riders as they scramble out of the way and run to safety. You really feel the terror when you’re so close to the ring in a small arena, rather than up in the nosebleed section of a huge stadium.
Barrel racing is my personal favorite and it’s done by the ladies. Their power and grace as they make the horses run figure eights around two barrels then race with all they have down to the finish line is a thing of beauty.
Cowtown Farmers Market is held on the rodeo grounds each Saturday, clearing out around 4 p.m. I’d advise buying tickets online in advance and arriving around 5:30 for the big events. Parking is free, and the lot is huge. Tailgating and picnicking are allowed and encouraged in the rear of the field, but we found it best to park in the paved lot closest to Harding Highway for a quicker exit later. Doors open at 6 p.m. so head right in and mark your spot with a blanket on the bleachers. No one will bother it. Most people prefer to sit with their backs to the sun, but we sat facing west on the far side of the arena, closest to the bucking stalls, so we could catch the behind-the-scenes action. Get food right after saving your spot as that line gets impossibly long later. There’s a shopping kiosk with cowboy hats and swag (pop guns galore) that’ll take up fifteen minutes max. Then just settle in with your food and cooler (BYOB, but nothing in a glass, allowed. No alcohol sold onsite.) to watch the sun set and wait for the show at 7:30.
We had a good start out of the chute, meeting the announcer and the rodeo clowns at the entrance as we arrived. Head Clown Ronald Burton is from Philadelphia… Mississippi… so he got to chatting with us when he heard my familiar drawl. The other two clowns were from Alabama and Wyoming. They all follow the rodeo circuit around the country, as do many of the cowboys and cowgirls. They live in Cowtown housing or motorhomes for the season, then head on to the next. Life of the modern cowboy. There may not be much actual cowboying left to do, but when there’s a will there’s a way. It has certainly stood the test of time, now in its 69th consecutive year… a wholesome way to live an American Dream.
Cowtown Rodeo (www.cowtownrodeo.com) takes place every Saturday from 7:30-9:30 p.m., rain or shine, from Memorial Day to the end of September. It is located on Route 40 (Harding Highway), in Pilesgrove, eight miles east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Take Exit 1 off the New Jersey Turnpike, or Exit 4 off Route 295, and follow signs for Route 40 East.