About
Maui Rodeos
KAONOULU RANCH
Est. 1916
Paniolo
“a person who herds cattle; cowboy”
Small Kine History
In 1793, Captain James Vancouver gifted King Kamehameha I the first cattle on the islands. Horses came next in 1803, when American merchant ships brought them as a gift to the King.
It was Kamehameha III who, in 1832, invited Mexican cowboys, called vaqueros, to Hawai’i to teach his people how to work the wild cattle that had grown under the reign of Kamehameha’s son Liholiho (Kamehameha II).
Hawaiians quickly took to riding and roping, becoming skilled with the tools and techniques of the vaqueros, and creating a distinct Hawaiian Cowboy culture called Paniolo.
Ty Kauai, the 2025 Monster Bull Bash Champion
Paniolo culture reflects a legacy of resilience, adaptation, and a profound bond with the land. Its traditions are woven with music, dance, and art that transcend ranching and cowboy life.
Paniolo culture burst onto the Western stage in 1908, when Ikua Purdy, Archie Ka’au’a, and Jack Low journeyed to Wyoming to take on the world’s largest rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days. The trio dazzled the crowd, with Ikua roping his steer in a lightning-fast 56 seconds and leaving their Western rivals in awe.
Our Story
Established in 1916
Kaonoulu Ranch, home to the Oskie Rice Event Center, has played a vital role in Maui rodeo history, fostering a sense of pride and cultural identity. Since its purchase in August 1916 by Harold W. “Pop” Rice, Kaonoulu Ranch has laid the foundation for rodeo tradition on Maui. The ranch has been instrumental in promoting and sustaining the paniolo heritage, which is a vital part of Hawaii’s cultural history.
In the 1930s, Pop’s son, Harold Fred “Oskie” Rice, and his brother-in-law, Garfield King, purchased the ranch from Pop. Around 1956, Oskie’s son, Harold “Freddy” Rice, Jr., and Haleakala Ranch foreman, George Manoa, asked Oskie for a piece of land to build an arena on. They wanted an arena for the ranch and local cowboys to showcase their skills. George Manoa lived across the street from the original arena, so Oskie said they could have the adjacent ranch pasture to build an arena, and since George lived next to it, he could keep an eye on it. They went on to build the arena, which was dedicated in 1984 as the official “Oskie Rice Arena,” strengthening the community’s rodeo and paniolo traditions. Kaonoulu Ranch continues to support and grow rodeo, roping, and polo on the island.
Kaonoulu Ranch’s tradition of showcasing local talent and preserving paniolo culture has made the Oskie Rice Event Center the heart of Maui and all of Hawaii’s rodeo scene, inspiring pride and respect for these enduring traditions.
Oskie Rice with his favorite horse Blackjack
Oskie Rice
Memorial Rodeo 2026
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