FAITH, S.D. – It began as an open matched bronc ride in a small, prairie town, that turned into a really big thing in the sport of professional rodeo.

The high plains of western South Dakota are once again the center of the rodeo universe as the 116th Annual Faith Stock Show & Rodeo kicks off its marquee event: the PRCA Xtreme Broncs Match, Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Drawing top-ranked saddle bronc riders and world-class bucking stock to the Faith, the event stands as one of the most critical late-season showdowns on the PRCA circuit.

“What makes it so important is that it’s the last one that qualifies to get to the PRCA X Bronc Finals in Rapid City, S.D., later in August. Cowboys coming to Faith are pretty much the who’s who in the bronc riding world,” according to early day organizer of the event, Rorey Lemmel.

Founded in 1910 to celebrate the incorporation of Faith, South Dakota, the Faith Stock Show & Rodeo holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously running rodeo in the state. The event has never missed a single year in its 116-year history—persisting unbroken through World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While the stock show has grown to include ranch rodeo and ranch bronc rides, Indian Relay Races, and more, the PRCA Xtreme Match Bronc Ride on opening night is its crown jewel. Faith made history as a pioneer in the sport by hosting the first-ever stand-alone PRCA-sanctioned bronc match, which ultimately helped lay the groundwork for the modern PRCA Xtreme Broncs Tour.

Produced in part by Lemmel, a Faith native and veteran rodeo producer, the event serves as the final high-money stop for competitors seeking points to qualify for not only the Xtreme Broncs Tour Finals but also the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas.

“There have been bronc matches all over the world, in the United States and Canada. Australia is doing it now,” observes Lemmel. “But it was years ago, when the PRCA sent decision-makers up to the Faith Stock Show & Rodeo, when it was an open bronc match, to watch the event. It was decided – after watching the cowboys and rough stock at the Faith Stock Show & Rodeo matched bronc ride, that it could be a stand alone event for professional rodeo and it took off from there.”

He adds “It’s pretty cool that in a little town and part of the country – known for cowboys – that it all started with eyes on an open bronc match in Faith, S.D.”

Ahead of the evening match, the Faith Stock Show hosts the World Bucking Futurity beginning at 10:00a.m. on Wednesday at the fairgrounds, where top contractors evaluate rising two- and three-year-old broncs. The best young buckers transition into a PRCA string. 

“A lot of good animals have come through there,” said Lemmel. “It stands out as a futurity. The Longbrakes will have horse there. Sean Theel has produced a couple of famous horses over the years that have come through that futurity. It might be a couple of years before you see those horses show up but it’s fun to watch them as they start.”

The bronc match itself starts at 7:00p.m. and features top-tier PRCA saddle bronc riders, including past world champions and National Finals Rodeo qualifiers.

“The bronc match at Faith always dazzles me with the talent that comes to a small town,” says Lemmel. “It’s really the who’s who. You can equate it to an NFR performance, right there in Faith, South Dakota.

See the complete schedule for the 116th Faith Stock Show & Rodeo, here.