Moffat County Little Britches ready to ride this weekend

If your child thinks they’re getting a bit too big for their britches, this weekend may be the perfect test to test their mettle.

The Moffat County Little Britches Rodeo hits Northwest Colorado this weekend, running Friday through Sunday at the Moffat County Fairgrounds. The national organization for young riders and ropers has a considerable calendar for the summer months, including the national finals in mid-July.

Local organizer Beverly Salazar said she is anticipating at least 40 to 50 competitors, hailing from Colorado, Utah and New Mexico to engage in everything from barrel racing to goat tying to pole bending to all forms of roping for a wide range of ages in different divisions, 5 to 9, 9 to 14 and 14 to 18

For Salazar, seeing local kids in Craig and Moffat County work hard and play hard at the sport is her favorite part of it, among them her own daughter, Amber.

“She’s really been excelling, and I think she’s in the running for one of the all-around saddles,” she said.

At the conclusion of the events, Little Britches will be awarding top competitors with the coveted tack materials that shows how much they’ve worked over the weekend and the months leading up to it.

Salazar also runs the Black Mountain Junior Rodeo series, which will take place Wednesdays at the fairgrounds to ensure there’s no shortage of yee-haws from now through August. She hopes to see the grandstands packed as the summer goes on, whether at her own series or at Little Britches.

“We really want to see a lot of people out here supporting these kids,” she said.