MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — The Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo is back for its 21st year in Mountain Home. This year, a dollar from every ticket sold on Friday will go to the Memorial Burnout Fund for Mountain Home, helping the 15 families who lost their homes and the officers injured in a wildfire last month.
Brad Caldera, vice president of the Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo, said the decision to support those affected felt natural.
"It only seems appropriate that we support the people that support us and sacrifice everything everyday," Caldera said.
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The annual two-day event honors Daniel Dopps, a Mountain Home teenager killed while riding a bull at a rodeo in Grace, Idaho, in 2005.
His mother, Ramona Dopps, serves as executive director of the rodeo and has kept his legacy alive for more than two decades alongside a team of volunteers and sponsors at Optimist Park.
"The last thing he said was, ‘it's what I do, and I'll do it till I can't do it anymore.’ So what better way to keep his legacy going than a rodeo, and it's his passion," Ramona said.
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Ramona said the event has brought unexpected comfort through the years.
"Losing our son was horrible, and it's an everyday thing, but having an opportunity to share his passion with the world makes that kind of a little bit easier," Ramona said.
Travis Bachman, president of the Memorial Rodeo, knew Daniel as a child and said he still remembers the impact Daniel had on the people around him.
"Young kids would come up to Daniel and just idolize him to death, and he loved young kids," Bachman said.
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That connection remains a central part of the rodeo today, with kid-friendly events held before the main competition.
Hailey Owen is also part of the rodeo team and said she always thought of Daniel as an older brother.
"He may not be here in person changing the world, but this is, this is what he would be doing," Owen said.
Ramona said she hopes the rodeo continues to bring neighbors together, just as Daniel did.
"I always say when I meet someone new, I thank Daniel for bringing them into my life," Ramona said.
The rodeo kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. at Optimist Park. You can find tickets on the Daniel Dopps Memorial Rodeo website.
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