PRAIRIE GROVE -- Life sometimes feels like a bull ride, trying to find something tangible to hang on to in a world of uncertainty as the covid-19 crisis hit the rodeo industry hard.
For the cowboy astride 1,500 pounds of bellowing behemoth eight seconds is all it takes to score points and earn a shot at winning prize money on the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit.
But with rodeo after rodeo canceled across the country the opportunities to earn enough prize money to keep a cowboy in the standings proved harder to come by. Springdale's 76th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks became one of the latest victims -- its plan failing to receive approval from the Arkansas Dept. of Health, and the rodeo board voting to cancel this year's rodeo.
That's an episode that's become all too familiar as small-town rodeos fight to keep their events alive while often finding themselves in a position of having to debunk assumptions that because the big rodeos shut down theirs did, too.
Rural Venues
Rural landscapes, once considered "fly-over" spaces due to drastic drop-offs in population density from mainstream America with its million dollar sports stadiums, have become the place to host sporting events where social distancing can easily be achieved.
The renowned Sankey Rodeo Company hosted ranch rodeos each weekend during June near Joliet, Mont., population 656. Last week, Rock Springs, Texas, situated 175 miles west of Austin with a population of 1,100, hosted a Professional Bull Riders event with another PBR competition planned for July 17-18 at the Ogden Ranch, 11471 Illinois Chapel Road, Prairie Grove.
Lincoln Play Days
Lincoln Riding Club canceled its May 17 Play Day because rodeo arenas hadn't been given the go-ahead to open to the public. A day later Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson opened up rodeo arenas and LRC hosted a Play Day June 7, at its arena one mile west of Lincoln, Ark., population 2,274 (2018).
The LRC Play Days feature rodeo events without requiring formal rodeo attire while serving as competitive runs for barrel racing, pole bending, and a speed run around one barrel and back. A wild card event can also be entered with a $1 entry fee.
Entry fees are low and anyone may enter. A Play Day nomination fee of $10 per contestant up to $25 per family must be paid no later than a contestant's second Play Day to be eligible for points. Lincoln Riding Club members, who are paid up on their dues, only need shell out $10 to participate in all three events while non-members pay $5 per event. Exhibition riders are charged $2 per run.
"We had a really nice turn-out on our last Play Day. Everything worked out really good. That's what our board was hoping for," said LRC board member Shane Downing, reached by phone last week.
Independent Initiative
Make no mistake -- rodeo is a business -- perpetually marketed as somewhat of a glamorous lifestyle that in reality requires dedication and work. Stock contractors are at the top of the list along with contestants, judges, timers, announcers, rodeo clowns and bullfighters -- all hammered economically by the coronavirus.
In Montana, Wade Sankey began 2020 buying out his family's world-famous Sankey Rodeo Company in conjunction with his Minnesota business partner Matt Scharping, owner of Phenom Genetics which provides PBR bulls, acquiring top-of-the-line stock such as Tuca's Warsong, a former National Finals Rodeo bronc, that the Sankey family sold the naming rights to honor a young girl battling a childhood disease.
Then the cash-flow creek or "crick as they say in Montana" dried up when scheduled rodeos began falling like dominoes.
Sankey refused to cash in his chips even if he had to tread water to keep the business afloat while facing a $525,000 overhead based on the annual costs of feeding, housing and vaccinating 200 head of cattle, 300 horses, and 60 bucking bulls.
Every Sunday during the month of June, Sankey hosted a drive-in rodeo at the family ranch 43 miles southwest of Billings Logan International Airport, regional air-hub at the largest city in Montana. All but seven miles of that trip are on pavement. After leaving U.S. 212, one of the gateways to Yellowstone National Park, the route requires driving Carbon County roads while traveling on dirt, but isn't complicated.
Sankey hoped rodeo fans would come out and they have to an extent. The ranch rodeos average 200 tickets sold per event. That doesn't come near to a normal year's revenue, but fans are getting to witness feats such as Kade Bruno's 88-point ride on Tuca's Warsong -- good for second place and a June 21 rodeo payday.
"It's not ideal, but it's an opportunity to do some things," Sankey said, reached by phone Monday.
Among those are providing income for independent contractors such as pick-up men and contestants, who are finding chances to compete scarce.
Wyoming Dispute
Controversy broke out when Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon issued a press release May 27, listing the Cody Stampede among six Wyoming rodeos that wouldn't happen this year due to the coronavirus pandemic including the world famous Cheyenne Frontier Days occurring in the state capitol, Wyoming's largest city, population 64,000.
However, the town of Cody, Wyo., which has less than 10,000 residents, was not party to a decision reached by Governor Gordon's task force, and its rodeo board worked to enable both the Cody Stampede (July 1-4) and the Cody Nite Rodeo, a recurring summer-long rodeo (June 20 - Sept. 10) to go on with limited seating due to health orders.
Apparently, a dispute over the number of spectators that could be seated hadn't been worked out prior to Gordon's announcement.
The "Casper Star Tribune" reported May 29 that an exemption application submitted by the Cody Stampede Board for the Cody Nite Rodeos said it would seat 15 percent of its 3,200 body capacity (480 people), while state health officer Dr. Alexia Harrist had only given approval for up to 250 spectators at that point.
Minus Bull Riding
Since then Cody and the State of Wyoming ironed out their differences.
"Wyoming Public" Radio reported June 9 that the Cody Stampede has been granted an exception to seat up to 600 people in the stadium July 1-4, a partial victory for a Fourth of July holiday attraction that usually draws a few thousand guests. With those restrictions in place, the Stampede will not be hosting the Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls and Bullfighters Only event this year, but introduced by popular demand a professional ladies breakaway roping competition.
Arkansas Mirror
The Wyoming ruckus reappeared as a near mirror image in Northwest Arkansas.
In late June, organizers of the Lincoln Rodeo reacted to a statement attributed to Rodeo of the Ozarks board member David Hoffarth saying it had been canceled along with Rodeo of the Ozarks, Old Fort Days and the Harrison rodeo.
The Lincoln Riding Club responded on social media June 23, expressing an intent to clarify its position regarding the statement.
"As of right now our rodeo is still a go. We have submitted a plan to the Arkansas Health Department and awaiting their response. We are going above and beyond to keep our spectators and contestants safe during this time."
Downing echoed that, saying, "We are definitely going to have the rodeo as far we know. We submitted a plan to the Arkansas Dept. of Health and we haven't heard back from them yet."
Key Sponsorships
Since its announcement, the Lincoln Riding Club picked up several sponsorships, a key component in hosting any rodeo. Over the last week, five area sponsors which supported the Lincoln Rodeo in the past renewed their commitment for the 2020 event planned for Aug. 6-8 at the Lincoln Riding Club Arena.
One of those sponsorships came from Pick-It Construction, whose president, Nathan Ogden, of Prairie Grove, engaged himself -- bucking the trend of accepting rodeo cancellations at face value -- in an effort to retain the Professional Bull Riders Touring Division competition associated with the Rodeo of the Ozarks.
"As our world experiences unforeseen circumstances and times we have reflected on the heart of a cowboy," Ogden wrote in a June 24 press release announcing a two-day PBR Touring Division event scheduled for July 17-18 at his ranch.
In Ogden's eyes the foundation any cowboy or cowgirl stands on is hard work and perseverance.
"Unprecedented circumstances do not allow us to continue with Buckin' In The Ozarks at Parson's Stadium in Springdale, Ark., on July 17-18," he wrote in the press release. "However, with extreme care, caution and consideration, due to current CDC & State Guidelines with the example presented by PBR officials on a national level, we have determined we will continue this year's event, Buckin' At The Ranch, moving it to Ogden Ranch in Prairie Grove, Ark."
Sponsorships fell into place while Ogden was busy planning the layout of a rodeo venue built from scratch.
On Thursday he said 99 percent of the sponsors, who would have supported the PBR event as part of Rodeo of the Ozarks were on board to sponsor Buckin' At The Ranch.
NWA Pioneer
Ogden knows he's breaking new ground. This will be the first PBR event for Prairie Grove, population 6,318 in 2018, but maybe not the last as the rodeo world evolves adjusting to covid-19.
While talking to the Springdale Board about hosting the PBR event on his ranch, Ogden told them, 'We'll be the blueprint. We don't mind being the blueprint figuring out a way to do things."
Ogden said he wouldn't mind the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, nine miles down country roads from his PBR event site, coming to observe how the Ogden Ranch handles covid-19 in producing a rodeo event.
"Let them come watch and learn from our mistakes because I know they want to have something and we'll be everybody's guinea pig," he said.
Ogden anticipates a successful event, but will be happy just to break even doing his part to promote bull riding as a means to combat the negative psychological aspects of quarantine.
"This changes the game when you come out here and you get spread out," Ogden said. "You got 400 acres to get spread out, you know what I mean. Social distancing is not a problem out here so it's a little bit different than a stadium venue."
The Ogden Ranch is located at 11471 Illinois Chapel Road, Prairie Grove, in the same spot as Luke Bryan's Farm Tour in 2016.
Tickets can be purchased in advance from stubs.net. Gates open at 6 p.m. for "Buckin' At The Ranch" on July 17 and 18.
Ogden eagerly looks forward to watching it all unfold once bull riding action gets underway at 8 p.m. through midnight followed by musical guests.
"We'll have roughly 45 minutes before the sun goes all the way down, and then it will get real nice," he said.