10/14/2026
Wow, what an honor!
Jim and Mara Miskimins attended The 2026 PRCA Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo and accepted the award for Medium Sized Rodeo of the Year for the Corn Palace Stampede and its committee.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the premier sanctioning body of professional rodeo in America.
The Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo is sanctioned by the PRCA. It has been sanctioned by the association since its inception in 1971.
PRCA rodeos in North Dakota and South Dakota are members of the Badlands Circuit.
The Badlands Circuit has about three dozen sanctioned rodeos, of which roughly one half are classified as medium sized. This year the Badlands Circuit reinstituted a dormant voting system for professional circuit cowboys and cowgirls and rodeo committees to recognize its rodeo of the year in categories of large rodeo, medium rodeo, and small rodeo of the year for 2026.
The awards have not been handed out for several years. The Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo was held in Minot, ND from October 9-11 at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. The event celebrates the hard work and talent of professional cowboys and cowgirls from the Dakotas.
It also celebrates the tremendous contribution of professional stock contractors from the Dakotas.
On Saturday, October 10, 2026 at the Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot, North Dakota, the Badlands circuit contestants and rodeo committees recognized the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Committee and the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo as the Best Medium sized Rodeo in the Badlands Circuit for 2026.
The Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo heartfully recognized the passing of Jim Sutton, Jr., Onida,SD, a member of the PRCA Hall of Fame, and the stock contractor of the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo since 1971. The Sutton family have been an important part of the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo from the start
The Corn Palace Stampede Committee is made up entirely of volunteers. Its goal is to entertain the entire community by celebrating the western way of life that is a part of all us and to have a positive financial impact on the Mitchell community each and every year.
The rodeo committee volunteers chose a path a few years ago to embrace a bold vision to create something new for the Mitchell community. That decision led to the construction of the Arena at Stampede Park. At this stage it is more than a rodeo grounds. It is an events center.
Many others volunteer to help the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo. Perhaps the dedication of volunteers was a deciding factor of Badlands Circuit contestants in 2026. We’ve heard Stampede Park described as “BIG, but intimate.” Others have described it as “Awesome!”
Thank you to all who volunteer in some way to help the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo.
The rodeo committee is not a group of professional event planners. As previously stated it is a group made from volunteers that care about Mitchell and the surrounding area. There were no architects involved in the planning and building of the Arena at Stampede Park.
The Stampede committee relied upon the effort’s and contributions of people that truly cared to pour everything they could into the project. It paid off. A significant part of the effort in making a dream come true with building the Arena was to reach out to the people that have helped the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo all along – its sponsors.
When the Stampede reached the fork in the road, we asked our friends for help. They delivered. We could NOT have made it happen without them.
THANK YOU!
The Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo celebrated with its third rodeo at Stampede Park in 2026. The Arena has hosted fabulous charity fundraisers at the Arena for the past couple of years. Families have celebrated graduations and other important events at Stampede Park.
The committee built a second arena at Stampede Park. The committee is in talks to host college rodeo events and youth rodeo events. The future is bright. Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Committee Chairman Jim Miskimins stated, “I couldn’t be more proud of our committee. These good folks endured a lot of hardship that the people of Mitchell are somewhat familiar with.
The committee didn’t waiver. They fought through a tough time and didn’t hesitate to take on a great challenge to finance and build an entirely new complex to enhance the quality of life for our community. The committee has earned the recognition received by the PRCA and its Badlands Circuit contestants and rodeo committees.
I am proud to be a committee member since 1990, and a couple of my comrades have been members longer than me.” He concluded, “We have a beautiful facility that will outlast everyone who is on the committee right now. I believe that the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo committee will make it even better in the future.”
The CPS rodeo committee thanks the circuit contestants and rodeo committees for this recognition.
Other honors were as follows:
Badlands Circuit Large Rodeo of the Year –
Days of ‘76 Rodeo, Deadwood, SD
Badlands Circuit Medium Rodeo of the Year – Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo, Mitchell, SD
Badlands Circuit Small Rodeo of the Year –
Wall Celebration PRCA Rodeo, Wall, SD
