Star Valley’s Search and Rescue unit is offering its annual Ranch Rodeo on Saturday, July 4 at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Afton. Gates open at 6:30 and all proceeds benefit the SAR as they work to maintain equipment, supplies and training for unit members.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said SAR Commander Matt McMurdo in an interview with SVI Media. Proceeds are “used to provide training for unit members and also help purchase new equipment that we need.”

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Search and Rescue is in the busy summer season and used brand new equipment to aid in response to an accident that put a pickup in the Snake River on Monday. “Hopefully, we will be able to purchase our new vehicle that we have been after” with the proceeds from the 2026 Rodeo “and a new side-by-side as well.”

The Ranch Rodeo offers competition between eight ranching teams that battle through events that include the bedroll race, team branding, a trailer race, a relay race and Wild Cow Milking. Eleven Bronc riders are registered for the evening, looking for a $2,000 payout and calf grabs are offered to audience members. The evening also features fireworks and a surprise event new to the Ranch Rodeo. “We just heard about this new one and think it will be a real crowd pleaser,” said McMurdo. “We talked with the teams, and they were all for it, so we put that in.”

The Star Valley High School Cheer Team is scheduled to offer concessions throughout the rodeo, with proceeds from their sales to benefit the Cheer Team with camp, uniform and travel expenses.

“If the family is looking for an event to come out and get out of the house for some fun, this is a fun, family entertaining event,” McMurdo added. “We hope to see the community out there having a good time, because it looks like we will have some good weather. You just might see some horse wrecks this year!”