Saddle up for the return of Morgala Days Rodeo
Jun 13, 2024 12:05PM ● By Verlene Johnson
Rick Steed and Val Christensen participate in the Morgala Rodeo in 1982.
In 1949, when the Morgan High School Band was in need of uniforms, the Lions Club of Morgan decided to sponsor a rodeo to help the band. At the time, club president, Willard Nielson with the help of his rodeo committee; Golden Porter, Royal Thackeray, and Jack Kippen procured the services of East Side Rodeo Co. of Promontory, Utah to produce a two-night event at the cost of $800. The baseball field was transformed into a makeshift arena for the rodeo, with corrals and chutes set up on the west side of the field.
In 1954, a contest was held and the name Morgala Days Rodeo, submitted by the Late Beaulah Buttars, was voted as the official name for the event that continued to be sponsored by the Lions Club. That same year the first Rodeo Queen Contest was held. The contest was opened to anyone and visitor Mavis Ann Ford was chosen as the first queen.
In 1956, the corrals and chutes were moved to what is now the Morgan County Fair Ground in preparation for a rodeo to help raise funds for the Stake Center Renovation. Dutch Porter and Spike Mecham were in charge of this event.
Morgala Day Rodeo was named “Rodeo of the Year” in 1987 by the Western States Rodeo Association.
The Rodeo continued for nearly six decades when the Lions Club realized they were spending more money on the event than it was bringing in. Almost two decades later The Morgan High School Rodeo Club has decided to bring back Morgala Days Rodeo.
This event will be held through the Rocky Mountain Pro Rodeo Association with Broken Heart Rodeo as the contractor will be a fundraiser for the high school’s rodeo club. While there will not be a Queen contest held this year, the 2023 fair Wranglers, the Pistol Annies, the current national high school rodeo Queen, and Miss Western Stampede will participate in the grand entry with Jessie Kilbourn Franich, the oldest living Morgala Days Queen, running the American Flag.
Morgala Days Rodeo will be held June 21 and 22 at the Morgan County Fair Grounds. For more information visit https://morgaladaysrodeo.org/.
Kelli Petty, head of the Morgala Days Rodeo committee, stated that if this year is successful they will bring it back next year and hopefully have a Queen Contest and carry on the tradition of Morgala Days.λ
