Salinas is a major stop on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit.

Owners would track down and herd as many animals as they could find, and bring them to a central, predetermined location—usually a valley.

In 1872, a racetrack, grandstand, bar, and restaurant were constructed by the Monterey County Agricultural Association on 69.4 acres (281,000 m2) in Salinas.

The land was donated to the city by Eugene Sherwood and Richard Hellman of San Francisco, on the condition that a fair and race would be held at least once every two years.

The solution for the city came from a group of cattlemen whose informal club went by the name of the "Salinas Coyotes."

(The main activity of the club was a bull's-head BBQ with generous amounts of bourbon whiskey!)

Iver "Red" Cornett thought that having bucking horses in between the races would draw more interest from the public.

Abbott, James E. Breen, Sam Matthews, Lawrence "Butch" Beevers, Arthur Hebbron, Julius Trescony, John Bryan, E.J.

The highlight of that year's show was the performance by the black cowboy Jesse Stahl.

In 1923, the rodeo paid the City of Salinas $40,000 in order to get a Quitclaim deed to the location from the Sherwood heirs.

It was used to build an 8,000 seat grandstand, a ½ mile racetrack, two barns, fences, and bucking chutes.

It was paid off in 1944 from revenue made by the rodeo and the City of Salinas didn't make any money off of it.

Around 3,600 Japanese Americans were interned on the rodeo grounds as the Salinas Assembly Center during World War II, from April to July 1942.

In July 1942 till 1945 it was used by the US Army VII Corps (United States) as the Salinas Garrison.

[2][3][4] In 1947, the rodeo purchased 30 acres (120,000 m2) of land to the east of the grounds from Mrs. Emma Sterling.

In 1979, the California Rodeo Historical Committee was formed and given the gifts of an authentic Wells Fargo stagecoach and a building.

The 2020 edition of the California Rodeo Salinas was rescheduled from its usual July run to October because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[5][6] The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) hosted an event during the California Rodeo Salinas for several years.

However, since 2022, the all-bull riding event at the rodeo is a PRCA Xtreme Bulls tour stop.

However, as of 2023, the Playoff Series finale now takes place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Other events have appeared there including monster truck shows, and a famous publicity stunt happened on May 31, 1992, at a show promoted by the late Dave Matthews where a stipulation was added to qualifying stating that the slowest qualifying truck would be dropped from a crane.