CHEYENNE, WY – Gov. Gordon, while joined by rodeo leadership across the state, announced the cancellation of the six largest rodeos in Wyoming due to COVID-19 concerns.
The announcement prompted criticism and anger from some in the state who feel government response to the pandemic has been too restrictive and infringes on individual rights.
“I want to be very clear – rodeo as a whole is not ‘cancelled’ in Wyoming,” the governor said in his statement. “There are no public health orders issued by the state that would ‘shut down’ rodeos or prevent them from taking place. In fact, we are continuing to work diligently to ensure that our Wyoming State Fair, county fairs, local rodeos and other smaller events can take place this summer.”
The response to the decision to cancel Cheyenne Frontier Days has gone well beyond the borders of the Cowboy State. Attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators every year, the iconic event is billed as the largest outdoor rodeo in the world. The 124 year-old historic event has never been cancelled. Until now.
In his public statement, the Governor said Wyoming officials did not order the closure of six large rodeos in the state.
“I would like to clarify some misconceptions surrounding yesterday’s announcement that six of Wyoming’s signature rodeo events will not be taking place this summer. As Governor, I support the choice made by these committees and stand with them in the enormously difficult decision that they had to make. Their courage is uncommon, and that in and of itself, is Wyoming.
Large rodeos are expensive undertakings that rely on attendance, sponsors, local support, and most of all, volunteers. As COVID-19 progressed early this year and many large rodeos closed, sponsorships dried up nationally; live music performances came to a halt; fans wavered, consumer sentiment dipped and volunteers were forced to weigh whether or not they would be able to help.
Rodeo committees take seriously their responsibility to provide an entertaining, unique, and safe experience to all of their guests and they look to the state and county health officers for advice. The group that I was honored to work with came with tough questions and a long list of unknowns that we all attempted to address. We discussed and considered at length how to manage the main gate, whether they needed to require masks and what attendance might be like. Would a beer garden be feasible? How do you manage crowds when the rodeo is over? How do you run a carnival in the current environment? In the end, the challenges and risks involved with implementing any approach were either too expensive, too complicated or simply not feasible.
As I stated at a recent press conference, the State did not close these rodeos. I want to be very clear – rodeo as a whole is not “cancelled” in Wyoming. There are no public health orders issued by the state that would “shut down” rodeos or prevent them from taking place. In fact, we are continuing to work diligently to ensure that our Wyoming State Fair, county fairs, local rodeos and other smaller events can take place this summer. This decision was difficult for all of us, and I know how important these events are to our communities, our businesses and our citizens. We stand ready to work with any rodeo committee to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. I look forward to a full rodeo season in 2021.”
Other rodeo cancellations in Wyoming are the Thermopolis Rendezvous, Cody Stampede, Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo, Sheridan WYO Rodeo, and Laramie Jubilee Days.
