According to a press release received last week, this year’s rodeo — jointly run by Visit Ogden and Weber County — is set for March 4-7 at the Golden Spike Event Center in Ogden.

“Since its founding in 2012, the Intermountain Icebreaker has grown into one of the premier youth rodeos in the Intermountain West, drawing hundreds of contestants and spectators each year,” the release said. “The event serves as an early-season kickoff for rodeo athletes and fans alike, offering four days of high-energy competition and community celebration.

“The rodeo is open to NHSRA high school and junior high members, along with 5th grade and under contestants, and features events including barrel racing, breakaway roping, team roping, tie-down roping, goat tying, and bull riding.”

The release added that this year’s Icebreaker will award more than $87,000 in prizes, including 28 trophy saddles and nearly 300 trophy buckles.

Taylor Hartman, director of marketing & communications with Visit Ogden, told the Standard-Examiner on Monday that the Icebreaker Rodeo is a great way to kick off the rodeo season.

“Over the years, it’s only gotten bigger and stronger,” he said. “A lot of these athletes will qualify through the rodeo and start their rodeo career for the year. It’s part of the Western Legacy Series and we’re just so happy to be part of that 15-year legacy.”

He said that the rodeo has been meaningful to the area, but this year is especially important.

“We love our Western tradition in Ogden and we love our rodeos in Ogden,” he said. “We love that this kickstarts the year early. We have a very robust rodeo season every year, and with the America250 celebrations being this year, we think it’s a really good time to celebrate this all-American tradition, and to do it in one of the most beautiful backgrounds, which are our rodeo grounds with the mountains in the back. It’s a wonderful place to go and watch rodeos. Ogden has a Western history, a cow wrangling history — Weber County even more so. We think we’re the perfect place to do these kind of events and competitions.”

Contestant entries are available now and will remain open through Feb. 20.

For more information, visit https://www.intermountainicebreaker.com/.