The Festa do Peao in Barretos, Brazil Rodeo Highlights 2015

Deep down in one of the biggest rodeo hot spots in the world, lies the incredible rodeo-filled Festa do Peao.

Rodeo News

by
Patrick OD O'Donnell
09/18/2015

Arena in Barritos Brazil Deep down in one of the biggest rodeo hot spots in the world, lies the incredible rodeo-filled Festa do Peao. Taking place within Barretos, Brazil, the festival offers a huge celebration of cowboy culture that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Since 1956, cowboys and cowgirls can spend a rich, ten days living in everything rodeo from August 20th-30th. But it all started when a group of cattle ranchers named The Independents competed with each other’s herds in an annual event which now grows in size year in and year out. The Festa do Peao is now the second biggest rodeo in the world, and carries a heap of talent and prominence in its name.

Eugenio Jose Santos, Patrick O’Donnell, Esnar Ribeiro, Ronan Felipe

There were plenty eye opening of events that took place at the Festa do Peao this year for cowboys and cowgirls to see, such as:

Barrel racing
Steer Wrestling
Team Penning
Bull Riding
Mutton Bustin
Barretos Rodeo

Eugenio Jose Santos, Jeff Harris, Patrick O’Donnell

The amount of people attending this year’s rodeo was near one million from across the globe. A few of these included Cowboy Lifestyle Network, the Ak-Chin Indian Community, and Earnhardt Auto Centers Road Team who covered the massive festival.

Esnar Ribeiro, Jeff Harris, Patrick O’Donnell

Apart from the rodeo, there’s music to be found at the festival, with past performances involving Shania Twain and Billy Ray Cyrus.
This past August included Garth Brooks as the headliner for a fantastic show down in Barretos that drew in over 50,000 people.

Last Updated on 03/12/2025 by Patrick OD O’Donnell

About the Author:

Patrick OD O'Donnell

Biography:

The moment a bull's gate swings open—that's when Patrick "OD" O'Donnell feels most alive. From his early days riding bareback through Arizona pastures to revolutionizing the bull riding industry as President of Bull Riders Only, OD has lived the Western lifestyle he now champions as Founder of Cowboy Lifestyle Network. Growing up in Casa Grande's sunbaked agricultural heartland, he didn't just learn about horses and ranching, he lived it daily, developing the instincts and grit that would later attract 4 million followers to CLN's authentic voice.

After his baseball days at the University of Arizona, OD saw something others missed: bull riding wasn't just a sport, but was compelling entertainment waiting for the right vision. Between 1990-1997, his leadership transformed local rodeo competitions into sold-out arena events that changed Western sports forever. Today, that same pioneering spirit drives CLN's coverage of everything from championship rodeos to the quiet heroism of ranch life. When he's not building the digital home for cowboy culture, you'll find OD supporting Harris Brothers Charity Foundation, leading CLN’s 25-year Christmas Toy Drive for Arizona kids, or sharing his love of horsemanship with special needs riders through Arizona's own Horses Help. Living proof that authentic Western values still have the power to transform lives.