Fifty riders from across the Rocky Mountain region rode into the Gilpin County Fairgrounds on Saturday, competing for prize money at the decade-old Buck for the Badge rodeo, a benefit event built to support the families of fallen and injured first responders. The rough-stock competition unfolded alongside the local Fairgrounds Frenzy and First Responders Day, turning the mountain-town fairgrounds into a weekend hub of rodeo action, memorial tradition, and public safety outreach.
According to FOX31 Denver, Gilpin County organizers put on the event at the fairgrounds, drawing riders competing for prize money from around the region. The rodeo's roots trace back a decade, according to The Mountain-Ear. In February 2016, Park County Sheriff's Corporal Nate Carrigan was killed and two other deputies were wounded in a Bailey, Colorado, shooting while serving an eviction notice. The report identifies paramedic and stock contractor Steve Henry as the effort's organizer.
A Decade of Fundraising for First Responder Families
Buck for the Badge operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the name Buck for the Fallen, established in 2016 to assist families of fallen or critically injured police, fire, and EMS personnel, according to the organization's own account. The group has distributed more than $250,000, per the same Mountain-Ear report.
This year's rodeo, held Saturday at the Gilpin County Fairgrounds, marks a decade of the event, according to Buck for the Fallen. The fairgrounds and its Allen Memorial Arena sit at 230 Norton Drive in Black Hawk, according to Gilpin County.
Memorial Traditions Inside the Arena
Beyond the competitive riding, the benefit carries solemn ceremonial weight inside Allen Memorial Arena. The event incorporates a riderless horse processional and a flag tribute representing various first responder sectors, as reported by The Mountain-Ear.
The rodeo also folds in a silent auction offering signed memorabilia donated by champion cowboys from the Professional Bull Riders and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, along with items from local Denver sports teams, the outlet notes. Attendees can also take in interactive public safety demonstrations, including SWAT tactics, K-9 units, and emergency medical helicopters from Flight For Life and AirLife, giving families a hands-on look at the work first responders do.
A National Backdrop of Risk
The Black Hawk event lands against a backdrop of risk for law enforcement.
Organizers of Saturday's rodeo say the need to support families of fallen or injured first responders remains constant, a mission that has kept Buck for the Badge running for ten years in this small mountain county.
