ProRodeo Sports News - February 8, 2019

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TOP RISING RODEOS

California Rodeo Salinas’ July 19-22 dates coincided with 20 competitions during the 2018 season. Included in those rodeos were big competitions such as the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho, the K-Days Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta, Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days and the Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork, Utah. “It’s so busy then with Cheyenne (Wyo.) and Spanish Fork, so you have to sacrifice to go there (Salinas), and they make it worth your while,” Lewis said. None of those high-dollar rodeos are close to Salinas, and three of them are within a 5-hour drive of each other. “We’ve been taking steps to improve the rodeo and analyze the stock and be more efficient,” Linquist said. “By increasing the purse, it makes it enticing to come here because there are other rodeos at the same time, so we’re looking for ways to shine.” The contestants notice. “For the rodeos in July and August, there’s a bunch that beefed up their money, and that’s great because everything’s gone up,” Lewis said. “As contestants we sure appreciate it.”

City

2017 Purse $179,000

2018 Purse $240,000 $220,000

Difference

Salinas, Calif.

$61,000 $45,000 $40,000 $25,000 $22,500 $22,500 $22,500 $20,000 $20,000 $16,000 $16,000 $15,000 $15,000 $14,000 $14,000

San Juan Capistrano, Calif. $175,000

Bremerton, Wash. Santa Maria, Calif. West Jordan, Utah Pendleton, Ore. Corpus Christi, Texas Kennewick, Wash. Heber City, Utah Prescott, Ariz. Ellensburg, Wash. St. George, Utah Innisfail, Alberta

$40,000 $35,000 $45,000 $315,000 $112,500 $160,000 $60,000 $109,000 $190,000 $35,000 $15,000 $28,000 $56,000

$80,000 $60,000 $67,500 $337,500 $135,000 $180,000 $80,000 $125,000 $206,000 $50,000 $30,000 $42,000 $70,000

Burley, Idaho Mandan, N.D.

KITSAP STAMPEDE The Kitsap Stampede in Bremerton, Wash., had the third-highest purse increase from 2017 to 2018 when they doubled their total from $40,000 to $80,000. This helped the rodeo’s total payout leap from $75,293 to $135,834. “We were a $10,000 added rodeo several years ago, but the county cut their budget, so we cut back to $5,000 added,” rodeo director Joe Drouin said. “The contestants realized it, and we needed to get back to $10,000.” The Kitsap Stampede is the hometown rodeo of ProRodeo Hall of Famer and announcer Randy Corley. “They were the ones that did it, I had nothing to do with it, but I also told them that it’s not just in the money,” Corley said. “It involves all aspects of the rodeo to make it better for not just the cowboys, but the fans as well.” Discussion began around 2017 to

“This gives the cowboys more chances to make more money,” Drouin said. The Kitsap Stampede is held on a county-owned arena that’s primarily used for demolition derbies. A group of volunteers known as The Wranglers work the arena for about two weeks and loosen the dirt with 18-inch rippers. “The Wranglers are the backbone of all of the labor and running of the rodeo, from the timed event to loading and everything, and they upgrade the grounds every year with new things,” Corley said. “The Wranglers have been there since before I’ve been there. They set it up and work year-round on and off. That’s a heck of a group of guys. I’m so proud of this rodeo and the direction it’s going right now.”

strengthen the purse because it was higher in the past, said Kitsap Stampede Top Hands president Jeff Nilsen. Volunteers committed to raising $40,000 for the rodeo events and $10,000 for the Xtreme Bulls. “I said, if you are going to increase that money it has to be at least a three-year program for it to work,” Corley said. The rodeo’s Stampede Club members bought tables and memberships for premium seating and food. The Stampede Club also helps pay for the rodeo’s clown, sound and announcer with a golf tournament. Plus, the Founders’ Club has about 10 members, each donating $5,000 toward the rodeo. “Our goal as a group is to add to it every year, but believe me, last year it was touch and go to raise that money,” Nilsen laughed. Scheduling is tight, and competition is fierce in August, so the Stampede changed its schedule to not conflict with the Horse Heaven / Kennewick (Wash.) Round-Up. Bremerton’s Xtreme Bulls event moved from Wednesday to Saturday so that bull riders would be the only contestants potentially double booked for Bremerton’s Xtreme Bulls and Kennewick’s short go.

The Kitsap Stampede in Bremerton, Wash., had the third- highest overall purse increase from 2017 to 2018, doubling it from $40,000 to $80,000.

Kent Soule photo

ProRodeo Sports News 2/8/2019

ProRodeo.com

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