WEST POINT, Ohio – There are a lot of ways to celebrate the Fourth of July and America’s 250th birthday this year.
But for a taste of America’s past, perhaps nothing can beat the 2026 Hoppel’s Championship Rodeo outside Lisbon, a tradition of cowboys, cowgirls and families for more than 40 years.
Touting itself as one of the largest, permanent outdoor rodeo arenas east of the Mississippi, Hoppel’s spectators bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on the grass hillside overlooking all the action. Located along the Little Beaver Creek and the rolling hills surrounding it, Hoppel’s Championship Rodeo features fast-paced action and natural beauty that draws more than 4,000 people each year.
“They call our rodeo the Beast of the East,” said organizer Patty Hoppel, who herself was once a rodeo cowgirl. The rodeo also uses the moniker The Greatest Show on Dirt.
Patty and Carl Hoppel, then newlyweds, started the rodeo in 1985, and it has always been held around the Fourth of July. The eight main events at the rodeo include barrel racing, steer wrestling, saddle bronc, team roping, breakaway roping, bareback and bull riding.
Children can participate in a calf scramble during intermission, trying to pull a ribbon off a calf. Children who come early can meet a rodeo clown, and Hoppel said there is usually a bull or two that the children can ride.
Main event competitors travel from multiple states and even other countries, demonstrating passion, grit and skills that come from years of riding. Hoppel said a few world champions attend the rodeo every year.
As a younger man, Aaron Platt was a bareback competitor at the Hoppel’s Championship Rodeo, among others, as he traveled throughout the country.
“It’s a great rodeo. It’s a well-established rodeo, and it’s the Fourth of July weekend,” Platt said. “Hoppel’s in Lisbon, Ohio, has always been a stop on the trail.”
He said between the sponsorships and the number of competitors, the prize money has always been good at Hoppel’s. He credits Hoppel for putting her “heart and soul” into the event and bringing in the sponsorships that ensure added money as incentives for competitors.
Platt is now the announcer for the rodeo, traveling from his home in Roanoke, Ind., for more than 15 years to lend his voice to the excitement of the event.
“I knew I couldn’t ride bareback horses forever, so I started playing around when I was pretty young, announcing some amateur rodeos,” Platt said. “The next thing is now I am still announcing some rodeos and actually putting some rodeos on.”
Platt said the permanence of Hoppel’s Arena is unique. Most rodeo events in Ohio are held in fairgrounds and require an entire temporary corral and arena to be trailered in and set up annually.
Hoppel’s Championship Rodeo is sanctioned by the International Professional Rodeo Association and American Professional Rodeo Association. Last year, the rodeo drew cowboys and cowgirls from about 17 states, according to Platt.
They are seeking the thrill of the fastest time or the longest and best ride, as well as the points, fame and prize money that come with it.
“It’s as addicting as can be,” Platt said of participating in a rodeo. “And once it gets in your blood, it’s hard to get rid of it.”
Hoppel would agree. She was a barrel racer herself when she and Carl built Hoppel’s Arena and started the rodeo on their property.
“My husband and his sons, it was their dream before me,” Hoppel said. “When I came into the picture, I’m a barrel racer and I rodeoed, so I just fit right in, and we all just did it.”
Her daughter also grew up doing rodeo, making it to the national high school finals in Gillette, Wyo., one year. Hoppel said the rodeo has always been a family affair, with their children, her in-laws and nieces and nephews all helping throughout the years.
Hoppel has long since given up riding, and Carl died in 2020. Hoppel said she considered making last year’s big celebration rodeo the last but found herself planning this year’s rodeo almost as soon as the dust settled.
“I just told somebody today, I must be addicted to it, because I haven’t been able to quit,” she said.
This year’s rodeo will take place July 3 and 4, with a full slate of elite rodeo events each night. Tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com or at local businesses – Lisbon Heritage Country Store, Giant Eagle in Calcutta and East Liverpool, East Palestine Sparkle Market and Wellsville Save A Lot. Tickets are $15 presale or $20 at the gate, and $15 for children. Veterans with proper ID are admitted free for the July 3 rodeo, which will include a Veterans’ Night tribute.
The arena is located at 40891 state Route 518, about 2.5 miles off state Route 11’s West Point exit.
Gates will open at 5 p.m., with western-style vendors and local food trucks available before the rodeo starts at 7 p.m. The rodeo is held rain or shine.
Following the second night of the rodeo, on July 4, fireworks will light up the night sky.
“We’re going to do it up pretty good for the 250th,” Hoppel said. “We’re excited about that.”
Pictured at top: Two cowboys participate in steer wrestling at Hoppel’s Arena during last year’s rodeo. (Photo by Zippin Photography)