Pilesgrove Township, N.J., is hosting Cowtown Rodeo, one of the nation's longest-running rodeos. In a time when pro rodeo is one of the fastest-growing sports in America, here's a look at the family-owned event leading the charge.

Pilesgrove

Cowtown Rodeo, located in Pilesgrove Township, New Jersey, is recognized as the longest weekly running rodeo in the United States. Established in 1929, the event has been managed by the Harris family for generations, with the current leadership representing the fifth generation and the first woman in charge. The rodeo, which draws over 4,000 spectators weekly, features traditional events such as bull riding and steer wrestling and is held on a family-run 1,800-acre farm.

Despite lucrative offers to sell the property, the Harris family has chosen to continue their rodeo and ranching tradition. The event is seen as a celebration of Americana and has become a significant part of the local community, with its future looking strong under the guidance of the younger generation.

New Jersey hosts one of the longest-running rodeos

Good energy. The bull riders get my heart pumping. Under the summer sky, the national anthem fills the air and thousands of fans packed the house ready for adrenaline pumping action. We're just here for the good vibes. Hopefully, you know, someone gets knocked off. It's not texas or Wyoming. This is New Jersey, an hour south of Philadelphia in Piles Grove. Cowtown Rodeo is the longest weekly running rodeo in America. How in the world did one of America's oldest rodeos end up in New Jersey? My family for like 13 generations has been in Salem County in agriculture. Truthfully, one of my great grandfathers helped drive 300 head of cattle to Valley Forge in 1778. So we've been doing this for a long, long, long time. Grant Harris is a fourth generation cowboy. What is Cowtown Rodeo symbolize? It's Americana. Yeah, we've been doing it long enough. We've created a fan base. Cowtown started in 1929, paused during World War Two and kicked off again in 1955. Cowtown Rodeo since then running every saturday from Memorial Day to the end of September. Grant and Betsy Harris took over the reins in 1978. Why is this rodeo so special? When you come on saturday night, you'll see that there are, you know, kids running around and people barbecuing. It's like something out of the forties that you would see picture on an old calendar. That's what it reminds you of from bull riding and steer wrestling to bareback and tie down. The heart pounding sport attracts more than 4000 spectators here on a weekly basis. How many famous cowboys and cowgirls have come through here? Just about anybody who's anybody in the rodeo business. Absolutely. The family also runs an 1800 acre farm and raises cattle. It's a sprawling, attractive piece of property. This is a lot of land for New Jersey. How many people have knocked on your door asking you to sell a lot? A lot. Some of the numbers that they've thrown out there were worthy of due consideration. You were tempted fear when they, you know, tens of millions of dollars, a lot of money. But when it all boiled down to my question to Betsy, you want to start over somewhere else? No, no. He is replaced. Instead, Grant Betsy passed the torch to their daughter Katie and son in law R. J. Griscom in 2020 the fifth generation and first woman in charge. How old were you when you started pitching in? Uh, well, I was riding at two. I was driving tractors at by eight. And since then, here I am now. What does it mean to you that your dad turned those offers down? I'm glad he did because I wouldn't have had the experience that I'm having now. The couple has two Children, the ranch and rodeo lifestyle already deeply rooted in their 13 year old son Nate. Since I was born, basically, it's been just riding bulls and having fun and working on the rodeo. It's awesome. What are you hoping fans walk away with after a night at the rodeo? That there's a decent amount of fans that come here actually looking for a little bit of Americana. And I think when they leave, I hope that they took a part of it with him. A cowboy culture passed on from one generation to the next in an unexpected place. What is the future of cow town look like today? Well, our crowds are up. The kids are a lot more dynamic with management of the rodeo than I'm willing to be at this stage of my career. So the future is bright. I can't foresee anything except for some sort of natural catastrophe that would stop us from having this rodeo for CBS Saturday morning. I'm Meg Oliver in Piles Grove, New Jersey.

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