The PBR Space Cowboys rodeo at the Air Force Academy blended rodeo spectacle with a targeted recruitment push by Space Force, US Border Patrol and other services during America's 250th celebrations. Border Patrol has ramped up hiring with new Trump-era mandates and funding, surpassing 21,000 agents and seeing a 44% jump in applications Jan–Apr 2025. Recruiters promoted signing bonuses up to $60,000 and competitive pay, while Space Force highlighted strong recruitment gains and plans to grow further.
Space Cowboys Rodeo Turns Into Recruitment Rally: Space Force and Border Patrol Court New Recruits at Air Force Academy
US Border Patrol has been "the Official Federal Law Enforcement Officers of the Professional Bull Riders" since 2008 [BBC]
On a sweltering Saturday in Colorado Springs, 33 fresh-faced recruits stood in formation to be sworn in at the Air Force Academy's Falcon Stadium while, nearby, riders in chaps prepared to face 1,600 lb (725 kg) horned bulls.
The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) "Space Cowboys" event — staged as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations — combined rodeo spectacle, Western iconography and military pageantry. What began as entertainment also served as a high-visibility recruitment platform for branches of the US military and law-enforcement agencies, with Space Force co-sponsoring and Border Patrol staffing a prominent recruiting tent.
Recruitment Meets Rodeo
PBR CEO Sean Gleason, beaming under a cowboy hat, said the connection feels natural: “Our cowboys, and the cowboys in our audience, they believe in hard work, honesty, integrity, help your neighbor, some selflessness. So that's what it takes to be in the military or in the US Border Patrol or any type of first responder.” PBR has worked with Border Patrol since 2008, and this event amplified that long-running partnership.
Policy, Funding and Numbers
The recruitment push comes amid a broader policy and funding surge. Last summer, President Donald Trump signed a law requiring the hiring of 3,000 new Border Patrol agents. In a recent bill he approved, Congress allocated roughly $70 billion toward border security for the remainder of his administration, including about $26 billion specifically for Border Patrol. Much of that money is aimed at recruiting and retention.
The agency announced it recently surpassed 21,000 agents for the first time since its founding. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol received 34,650 applications between January and April 2025 — a 44% increase over the same period in 2024 — a surge DHS attributes to policy emphasis and new recruitment incentives.
Cody Price, who's always wanted to join the military, attended the Border Patrol recruitment drive with his mom [BBC]
Recruiters at the event distributed flyers advertising signing bonuses up to $60,000 and starting salaries of $50,741, potentially rising to $110,563 with experience and locality pay.
Personal Stories: Why People Are Joining
The event attracted a mix of young adults and veterans weighing career choices. Eighteen-year-old Cody Price, who deferred college enrollment at the University of Colorado Boulder, said asthma disqualified him from military service but not Border Patrol, which made the agency a realistic option after speaking with recruiters. Nineteen-year-old Davin, who has a heart condition that bars him from military service, cited patriotism and camaraderie as draws. A 40-year-old Army veteran named Mike said he missed the sense of belonging of military life and wanted a role focused on securing the nation rather than purely immigration enforcement.
Competition For Talent
Border Patrol is not recruiting in isolation. Space Force — established in 2019 and tasked with protecting US interests "in, from and to space" — had a visible presence and says it exceeded its annual recruitment goal by 125% in February. A Space Force spokesperson told the BBC the service aims to double in size over five years and competes with Silicon Valley and major aerospace firms for talent. The Air Force National Guard also promoted itself at the rodeo with family-friendly attractions such as a trampoline.
Spectacle And Strategy
Alongside bull riding and aerial flyovers, the program included a Tim McGraw concert and a drone show projecting a bull-and-rider, a cowboy hat and the Space Force logo into the night sky. When a performer asked active-duty service members and veterans to stand, nearly half the stadium rose — a vivid image of the event's crossover appeal.
The gathering underlined how military and law-enforcement recruiters are using large, community-oriented spectacles to reach new audiences. For organizers and recruiters alike, the rodeo delivered visibility, family engagement and direct conversations that helped translate curiosity into applications.
Bottom line: The PBR Space Cowboys rodeo turned entertainment into outreach, helping Space Force and Border Patrol — backed by significant funding and policy emphasis — expand their recruitment pipelines among young adults, veterans and families.
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