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In the NoCo

Heading to your first rodeo? Here’s how to cowboy up with confidence

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Abe Morris has worn many hats in his lifetime - professional rodeo cowboy, author, entrepreneur, and PRCA broadcast commentator. "I'm always going to be a fan. I love it when I see people come to rodeos," Morris says. "I think once you go to a rodeo and you see a good bull riding event or something like that, you're going to keep going. You're going to become a fan for life."
Courtesy of Abe Morris
Abe Morris has worn many hats in his lifetime - professional rodeo cowboy, author, entrepreneur, and PRCA broadcast commentator. "I'm always going to be a fan. I love it when I see people come to rodeos," Morris says. "I think once you go to a rodeo and you see a good bull riding event or something like that, you're going to keep going. You're going to become a fan for life."

Rodeo is a popular sport all summer long across Colorado and the West. There are large events like the or in June and July. And , from Estes Park to Granby to Steamboat Springs.

Of course, anyone can buy a ticket and head to the rodeo – but what else should you know if you’re new to this world?

To help answer that question, we reached out to . Abe is a former professional bull rider who lives in Denver. He’s who also spent nine years as a broadcast commentator for Cheyenne Frontier Days. And he encourages people who are on the fence to just go and experience the rodeo – no cowboy boots or hat needed.

“I think once you go to a rodeo and you see a good bull riding event or something like that, you're going to keep going. You're going to become a fan for life.”

He joined ITN host Erin O’Toole to share his perspective and insights on rodeo culture.

Retired professional rodeo cowboy Abe Morris, attending a National Black Cowboy Rodeo Awards & Gala event
Courtesy of Abe Morris
Retired professional rodeo cowboy Abe Morris, attending a National Black Cowboy Rodeo Awards & Gala event

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.