American Nights
Old Santa Ynez Days makes rodeo dreams come true
Local fans of bronc riding, roping, and steer wrestling got a treat on June 20–21, when riders on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit came to compete in the seventh Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo, organized and run by the nonprofit SYV Western Heritage Foundation (syvwhf.org). The proceeds support half a dozen Valley youth organizations that range from the high school agriculture department and a therapeutic riding program to the Elks children’s Christmas fund and Santa Maria’s Golden Circle of Champions.
“We started it for the community,” says Kevin Murphy, president of both the foundation and the rodeo, which he cofounded with director Ralph Lausten in 2018. “It’s now one of the fastest-growing rodeos,” he adds, “number six or seven in prize money—$112,000 this year.” The PRCA-sanctioned competition, which also includes events in barrel racing, women’s breakaway, and bull riding, allows professionals to amass points for the National Finals Rodeo, held in December in Las Vegas.
Part of Old Santa Ynez Days festivities, the rodeo takes place at the Santa Ynez Chumash San Carlos Property, which is undeveloped land most of the time. “We build everything from scratch every year,” Murphy says. “It’s a little city, with grandstands, arena, VIP tent, and vendors for food and drink.” Sponsors for 2026 included Rio Vista Chevrolet, 805 Beer, Ranchero Whiskey, and Skechers, among others.
“We’re ground zero here for the vaquero way of life,” Murphy says, adding that as more people move to the Valley with no Western ties, “it’s important to keep that relationship [to the West] growing in the area. The rodeo is a way of knowing that two days a year we can celebrate the Western way of living.”
