ProRodeo Sports News - February 8, 2019

RODEO PURSES

California Rodeo Salinas has 1,200 volunteers who help make the rodeo happen. From 2017 to 2018, Salinas’ purse had the biggest increase of all PRCA competitions, increasing by $61,000 in a single year. Photo courtesy California Rodeo Salinas

Cha-Ching! BY MATT NABER N othing speaks louder than money when attracting cowboys to compete at a rodeo. Of the 721 PRCA competitions held during the 2018 season, 221 increased their purse and 391 maintained the same purse from the 2017 season. As for the 109 purses that decreased, most of their payouts stayed the same and several were competitions that don’t occur every year. The tricky part about rodeo payouts is that the goal is to grow in a way that’s sustainable. It’s rare for a rodeo’s payout to jump substantially in a single

Rodeo purses increase from 2017 to 2018

which means a bigger budget and ultimately a bigger payout for the rodeo contestants. “We’re not for profit, so we give a lot back to our community, but it’s great to add to the purse and help cowboys go down the road to make a living,” Linquist said. “Last year we had Blake Shelton and this year we have Tim McGraw, so we foresee it being a successful event. Shelton was the biggest concert we ever produced, there were 17,500 people there.” Salinas’ growth wouldn’t be possible without their army of 1,200 volunteers, Linquist said, plus their 52-member executive board, six officers and 18-member budget committee. “That’s the best rodeo of the year, they have the best hospitality,” Lewis

year – but that didn’t stop California Rodeo Salinas and the Kitsap Stampede in Bremerton, Wash., from ranking among the biggest purse increases in 2018. CALIFORNIA RODEO SALINAS From 2017 to 2018, Salinas had the biggest purse increase with $61,000, going from $179,000 to $240,000. Salinas’ payout has fluctuated from $407,645 in 2015 to $360,578 in 2017. Now, it’s on the upswing with a $394,257 payout in 2018. “From year to year we analyze our budget,” said Mandy Linquist, marketing manager for California Rodeo Salinas. “We’re constantly striving to be the best rodeo to make it enticing to contestants to show up. When we have room in the budget to increase the purse we do it, and this year we were able to add a lot more money per event.” Tie-down roper Monty Lewis won the average in Salinas twice, first in 2005 and again in 2018 for $10,555. “It was a big rodeo then, and it’s a big rodeo now,” Lewis said. “The calves are strong and it’s still an old-school roping, and I appreciate that.” Now entering its 109th year, the concerts at Salinas have been successful in recent years and sponsorships have been on the rise,

California Rodeo Salinas arena directors Jon Wooster and John Boekenoogen are among the people behind this iconic rodeo’s growth. Photo courtesy California Rodeo Salinas

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ProRodeo Sports News 2/8/19