CHEYENNE — As you settle into your seat at Frontier Park Arena come July 18, something will be missing.

Normally, the pre-rodeo entertainment at Cheyenne Frontier Days consists of local horse riding groups trotting and galloping their intricate patterns on the freshly groomed arena floor.

For the 2015 rodeo, which begins two weeks from Saturday, the precision riding groups have given way to explanatory videos of rodeo, called “Rodeo 101,” that will appear on the big screens in the arena.

The Dandies, the riding group that serves as official CFD ambassadors, will continue to participate in the rodeo grand entry and all other events, as they have in the past. The changes relate to other riding groups, and pertains only to the rodeo pre-show, according to CFD officials.

Still, the decision has disappointed some.

“They’re community people that (CFD is) booting out of there, and it’s kind of sad,” said LaNita Lovercheck of the Trotters riding group.

“When we go to Nebraska or anywhere else, we have people ask us about the rodeo. We’re always positive and we will continue to be positive. It’s just a slap in the face.”

Representatives of local riding groups say they got word of the rodeo’s decision in mid-June, though they had heard rumors for months before that.

Anita LaFond of the Saddle Tramps said the group received emails from Frontier Days Chief Executive Tom Hirsig and General Committee Chairman Darin Westby about that time.

“We’re just as much a part of the tradition as anything,” said LaFond, the drill and parade chairwoman for the Saddle Tramps. “They took that away and didn’t give us an option.

“We got different answers from the CEO and a different answer from the chairman. If they made the decision in January, it would have been nice to be able to go to committee and say, ‘This is what it means to us.'”

Hirsig cited a communication breakdown for the short notice.

“We do have some responsibility and fault there, he said. This should have been communicated in January, and this is a downfall on our communication piece.”

According to Hirsig, the changes began with the decision several years ago to move the rodeo start time to 12:15 pm from its original 1:05 pm spot. That was done to give the night show crews time to set up the stages from the end of the rodeo to the performers’ downbeats.

Hirsig said the altered start time reflected the change in the nature of the night shows.

“It used to be the ‘Gunsmoke’ gang with a guitar and a stool and that was it,” Hirsig said. “Some acts (now) have 14-20 semis, and that really pushes our volunteer force to get it set up. The only thing we could do was give (the) Contract Acts (Committee) more time to set up for bands.

“Our pre-show is really squeezed down. That’s the time we want to spend with people coming to stands, to educate people on the rodeo.”

Hirsig also cited marketing studies that show 80 percent of rodeo attendees took in their first — or only — rodeo at Frontier Days.

The studies also revealed that the average attendee wouldn’t return for three to five years. So the various committees set about retaining customers by engaging them in the rodeo.

Hence, the educational videos.

“So instead of listening to the announcer explain what’s going on, people will learn the rules of rodeo,” Hirsig said. “Maybe if people understand the rodeo a little more, they’ll come back every year instead of every 3-5 years.”

That left some local riding groups on the outside looking in.

Groups like the Trotters (formerly known as the Foxy Trotters) and the Saddle Tramps traditionally have performed routines of about 7 minutes each before the rodeo. Those groups also took part in the grand entry that features the rodeo committees and royalty.

LaFond said the group could have changed its routine to remain a part of the rodeo.

“They never asked us if we could move up our performance,” she said. “What could we do to compromise to keep the tradition? If there is an issue, could we have performed 30 minutes earlier? Or maybe we could perform during ‘Rodeo 101.’ On a non-parade day, throw us in there.

“Our drill goes back to the cavalry. It’s not just something that affects us as a riding group. It affects the tradition of the rodeo.”

Lovercheck said the Trotters had an inkling of the changes in recent years. Normally they would perform three or four times before the rodeo, but they did so just once in 2014. They even filled in at the last minute when an opening appeared.

Now they will find other venues in which to perform during the nine-day Western celebration.

“There were times years ago where we would do the parade and then we’d come up to the arena and they’d tell us, ‘Somebody’s canceled, can you fill in?’ And we would,” Lovercheck said.

“At Frontier Days we’ll still do the parades. We’ll go to Fort DA Russell. We do a cavalry group and re-enact what the cavalry did in early years.”

Hirsig acknowledged the contributions of the groups to the rodeo, noting the number of volunteers, Heels, Dandies and other rodeo groups are heavily populated by members of riding groups such as the Saddle Tramps and Trotters.

But in the end, he said, the rodeo must compete in the entertainment marketplace.

“Our goal is economic growth for the people of Cheyenne and to bring people from outside Cheyenne into Cheyenne,” Hirsig said. “Decisions made on how to move forward are based on consumer research as to what they want.

Still, LaFond said the tradition of the rodeo calls for local flavor – an aspect that gets lost in the newfangled shuffle.

“Cheyenne and Frontier Days go together,” she said. “It’s about the heritage, legacy and tradition and being appreciated that we’re a part of that. Customers like seeing that.”

article source