ProRodeo Sports News - June 15, 2018

SPECIAL SECTION

HEART OFTHE NORTH RODEO Spooner, Wis. July 5-7 spoonerrodeo.com

The Heart of the North Rodeo draws about 16,000 spectators to Spooner, Wis., annually for the three-day rodeo.

When the chutes open July 5 at theWashburn County Fairgrounds, the Heart of the North Rodeo in Spooner, Wis., will be celebrating its 65th annual event. The history of the Spooner Rodeo can be traced back to 1953. A couple of individuals from Spooner were headed to sell Christmas trees in Iowa. They stopped in Peterson, Iowa, to get gas.

Photo courtesy Spooner Rodeo

The capacity of the rodeo arena is 5,600, and Fankhauser said the rodeo routinely draws more than 16,000 spectators. Three of the last four years, the Spooner Rodeo was selected Large Rodeo of the Year in the Great Lakes Circuit. “Our ticket sales this year are running far ahead of last year at this point,” Fankhauser said. “We start selling tickets on Oct. 1. Every rodeo has cowboys and cowgirls and livestock. Not every rodeo has contract acts, and we strive to have something going on between each event, whether it be the rodeo clown or the contract acts, to keep the people entertained.” Barnes Rodeo has been the only stock contracting company used at the Spooner Rodeo. “Last year we had 441 entries (at the rodeo) and I’m sure we will have at least that many this year,” Fankhauser said. “Our prize money last year for the first time topped $100,000 in payout, and that’s what brings the cowboys and cowgirls to our rodeo. Our prize money should be a little better than that this year because we are raising our team roping money to be equal money for the header and heeler. We have a number of world champions and those who are in the Top 15 in the standings who compete at our rodeo every year.”

“While they were there, they noticed the (gas) attendant had a Barnes Rodeo jacket on,” said Dick Fankhauser, the Spooner Rodeo Committee Chairman. “One of these fellas was a cowboy named Bill Finey and he talked with Bob Barnes’ brother, Kenneth, who was running the (gas) station. He (Finey) told him (Kenneth) that his brother had a stock contracting business and they might want to talk to him. They met with Bob and they struck a deal, and they had the first Spooner Rodeo in 1954.” Since, the rodeo has become a staple in Spooner, a town of 2,600 people. It is 120 miles southwest of the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. “We have tremendous support from our community for our rodeo,” Fankhauser said. “There are a number of us who work on this rodeo all year round. We also have 75 volunteers on the committee who help get everything ready to go. It is really a team effort. Without that we couldn’t make it happen. This is one of the biggest events in the summer and one of the biggest events for northwest Wisconsin for the entire year.”

Our 65 th Year SPOONER RODEO JULY 5-6-7 www.spoonerrodeo.com

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