For obvious reasons, 2020 has been unforgettable. What with all the restrictions on social gatherings and events, it ain’t been none too easy on the rodeo man. With only 20-30% of my rodeos keeping their schedule, it’s made for an interesting summer.

June 18th marked the end of quarantine for me as I loaded the bucking chutes in Kanab. For the first time since the end of February, I was putting on a rodeo for an actual crowd! With the fans in the stands, hungry for action and ready for a show, I couldn’t help but grin.

The show went off without a hitch, new friends were made, and the crowd was hanging on the edge of their seats the entire time. With the local officials keeping a close eye open for an outbreak that never came, I knew summer was back on!

That next week was the “Kickin’ Corona Rodeo”, the largest rodeo in the nation since before the pandemic. With 700+ contestants from across the west, we knew it’d be the ultimate test to see if rodeo would still be an option this year.

Thanks to the help of social distancing encouraged by the Golden Spike Event Center, our track record stayed spotless for outbreaks.

Salina, Beaver, Weber and Duchesne county fairs, all had full and energetic crowds, and none of them had a single outbreak. We may have had less rodeos this year, but every single show that still went on was as much fun as I’ve ever had in that rodeo town!

The responsibility of taking care of our health is one we’ve all got to take, for ourselves and others. But the guidelines in place for the spectators have been proven effective, so please join me this November for the annual winter series rodeo at the Golden spike arena for some action packed family fun, and please bring a mask, thank you!