Cave Creek may be among the original roping hot spots in the Valley of the Sun with venues like Dynamite Arena, which began hosting jackpots all the way back in the 1970s. The town motto is “Where the Wild West Lives” and the town lives up to that moniker, making it a great place for ropers to land for the winter. Along with Cave Creek venues, nearby locales New River/Desert Hills, as well as Scottsdale, provide plenty of opportunities to rope and enjoy the great winter weather. Check thearizonajackpot.com for jackpot dates and times as well as producers’ Facebook pages.
Yost Events’ Dynamite Arena
27619 North 42nd Street, Cave Creek
406-977-6226 for stalls and RVs
DynamiteArena.com
Facebook: Dynamite Arena
• Two arenas
• Limited stalls and RV spaces
• Weekly jackpots (senior-only days) and specialty ropings; tack shop
Winchester Ranch
27619 North 44th Street, Cave Creek
602-882-1320: contact Roger
Facebook: Winchester Ranch
• One arena (adjacent to Dynamite Arena) and round pen
• Boarding and RV hookups
• Arena rental available
• Nearly 6,000 acres of open riding
Ponderosa Arena
39206 North 15th Avenue, Phoenix
208-989-7448 for RVs and stalls
• One arena
• RV hookups and pens, sold out for the season
• Practice sessions TBD
Rio Rancho Verde
14307 East Hawknest Road, Scottsdale
480-227-0568; rioranchoverde.com
• One arena
• RV hookups and casitas; open-air barn, indoor stalls; round pen; wash rack
• Laundry room
• Nearly 62 acres of Scottsdale Sonorana
• Desert Preserve & Tonto National Forest for 215 miles of riding trails
Other Non-Profit Arenas
Memorial Arena Rodeo Grounds
37201 North 28th Street, Cave Creek
480-488-6622
Larkyn Memorial Arena at New River Kiwanis Park
48606 North 17th Avenue, New River
602-739-1235; newriverkiwanis.org
• Arena is part of an 80-acre park, open from dawn to dusk
• Arena, available for open riding unless booked for special events with a $5 donation
• Team roping practices on Wednesdays and Fridays, occasional jackpots
• Dry camping for overnights, temporary stalling, restrooms
• Mounted shooting events
Entertainment
For the daredevil, try Extreme Arizona (480-488-8529; extremearizona.com). to rent dirt bikes, ATVs, Jeeps and more and head out for self-guided tours of the Sonoran desert.
The Ben Avery Shooting Range (623-582-8313; azgfd.com), off the Carefree Highway and I-17, is the largest publicly operated shooting facility in the U.S. The 1,650-acre facility hosts the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s annual Outdoor Expo in early April and offers target shooting opportunities for beginners and experts alike including clay targets and archery ranges.
Need less adrenaline? Golf courses include Rancho Mañana (480-488-0398; ranchomanana.com)—part of a historic dude ranch that was turned into a resort—Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club (480-488-0009; dovevalleyranch.com) or Scottsdale’s The Boulders Resort & Spa (888-579-2631; theboulders.com), which features a meditation labyrinth designed to clear stress.
Food & Drink
Cave Creek’s most famous establishments are the Buffalo Chip Saloon (480-488-9118; buffalochipsaloon.com) and Harold’s Corral (480-488-1906; haroldscorral.com), both listed in the “Top 10 Watering Holes” on p. 44.
For a charming atmosphere, try The Grotto Cafe (480-499-0140; thegrottocafe.com) for breakfast or lunch on the large outdoor patio. The Grotto offers coffee and a wine bar to complement your meal.
El Encanto Dos (623-780-5948; elencantorestaurants.com) is a favorite stop of ropers for its convenient location along the Carefree Highway, tasty Mexican food (and margaritas) and space to park a horse trailer.
Nearby Carefree offers a year-round Farmers Market every Friday and, for a delicious Italian meal, try Uncle Louie The Restaurant (480-595-1122; unclelouie.com) on Scottsdale Road.
Shopping
Cave Creek is filled with terrific shopping experiences ranging from the touristy to the high-end. For a one-stop shop, try out Las Tiendas (lastiendascavecreek.com) in the heart of town. You can get everything from handcrafted jewelry to works of art to home decor while enjoying snacks from It’s A Divine Bakery or Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue.
For a bit more practical outing, run up the I-17 to the Outlets at Anthem (623-465-9500; outletsanthem.com). If you arrive before Christmas, you’ll catch the tallest Christmas tree in America while checking out offerings from Columbia, Nike, Under Armour, Skechers and Sunglass Hut.
Essential Services
Feed & Tack
• Dynamite Horseman Supply
28232 North 42nd Street, Cave Creek
480-585-4073; dynamitehorsemansupply.com
Ropes, saddles and supplies
• Black Mountain Feed
6198 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek
480-488-9180
Facebook: Black Mountain Feed
Hay, feed and tack
• Anderson’s Feed & Tack
1722 West Tierra Buena Lane, Phoenix
602-993-8770
Facebook: Anderson’s Feed and Tack
Hay, feed and tack
• Karsten’s Ace Hardware
28220 N Tatum Blvd., Cave Creek
480-513-7020
Feed, tack, supplies
• Tractor Supply
34350 North Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek
480-488-9551
Mobile Equine Veterinary Services
• Desert Equine Services: 623-465-1200
• Phoenix Equine Veterinary Services: 480-621-9293
• All Equine Veterinary LLC: 480-250-1096
• Arizona Mobile Veterinary Practice: 480-707-2214
• Sorum Veterinary Services: 480-299-7526
Veterinary Care
• Cave Creek Equine Sports
Medicine & Surgery
34705 North 14th Street, Phoenix
623-581-5508; cavecreekequine.com
Facebook: Cave Creek Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery
• Chaparral Veterinary Medical Center
32100 North Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek
480-595-8600; cahosp.com
• Copper Ridge Equine
3120 W. Carefree Hwy Suite 1 639, Phoenix
480-281-5682; cridgeequine.com
Facebook: Copper Ridge Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery
• Southwest Equine Hospital
6001 East Bell Road, Scottsdale
480-998-9460
Facebook: Southwest Equine Hospital
Vehicle Repairs & Maintenance
• Anthem RV and Boat
44019 North Black Canyon Hwy, Phoenix
623-900-6400; anthemrv.com
• On the Road Again Mobile RV
Service and Repair
15044 E. Montgomery Rd., Scottsdale
602-296-7549; azrvservices.com
• Deer Valley Trailer
22228 N. 23rd Avenue, Phoenix
623-780-1551
Dealerships
• Airpark Dodge Chrysler Jeep
7801 East Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale
855-419-9816
• Van Chevrolet
8585 East Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale
480-428-4465
• Sanderson Ford
6400 North 51st Ave., Glendale
623-842-8600
