蜜柚直播

Snow? At a rodeo? In 蜜柚直播?

Don鈥檛 be surprised this year if the steers talk or the bucking broncos turn into reindeer and fly out of the arena. Stranger things have occurred.

The ill weather affected the rodeo鈥檚 attendance during the crucial Thursday-Friday-Saturday stretch last season, so rodeo general manager Gary Williams has dutifully checked the weather reports for weeks now.

Clear skies are expected, along with crowded grandstands and intense competition.

With 10 world champions and 20 National Finals Rodeo qualifiers 鈥� who combine for 136 total appearances in the Super Bowl of buckin鈥� season between them 鈥� the 蜜柚直播 Rodeo field is stiff once again.

Williams said advanced ticket sales are up this year and, a year after being at the whim of the wind, which gusted up to 50 mph 鈥� prompting Williams to say, 鈥淵ou鈥檝e always got to remember Mother Nature has the last at-bat. Whatever she throws at us, we鈥檙e gonna deal with,鈥� 鈥� walk-up ticket sales are expected to rise back to normal levels.

There won鈥檛 be too many outward changes for rodeo fans, as throughout the year and the lead-up to the event, the focus has been on infrastructure. 鈥淢ainly stuff that most people won鈥檛 notice,鈥� Williams said.

Rodeo volunteers helped replace shade screens that the rodeo had been using for the calf dens with permanent structures, and they spent time upgrading the grating in the timed events pens. Nothing too cosmetic.

For the first time, however, the rodeo is introducing a Kid鈥檚 Zone, with inflatable bounce houses, games and vendors specifically for the mutton-busters of the town.

鈥淲e are packed with vendors; the last couple years we鈥檝e had our best years ever for numbers of vendors,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淪o many kids come to the rodeo, they鈥檙e so excited about being here, and the kid鈥檚 zone gives them something else to do.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a first for us, but, hey, the Super Bowl is a three-ring circus with a football game thrown into the middle.鈥�

A few years ago, Williams said, the local division of business and economic research did a survey that showed the rodeo added $15 million to the local economy every year, and Williams pointed out that this year鈥檚 674 contestants, 90% of whom are from outside 蜜柚直播, 鈥渂uy fuel, food, feed, and that鈥檚 a large impact.鈥�

After pulling off a rodeo in the worst of conditions last year, what could possibly derail the rodeo this year?

鈥淚 was on TV the other day, they asked over 95 years, how many have been postponed and canceled?鈥� Williams said.

鈥淎nd I held up my thumb and forefinger and made a circle. None. We don鈥檛 do that. We鈥檙e cowboys. This is the same as a guy working on a ranch. He鈥檚 got a job to do, and he鈥檚 got to do it rain or shine, 110 degrees or 110 below.鈥�

And even if it does somehow manage to snow once more, Williams knows the most loyal fans will still be there.

鈥淭hese four women were my heroes,鈥� he said of his favorite story from last year. 鈥淲e have a production meeting in the announcer鈥檚 stand at 11 a.m., three hours before the rodeo. The grandstand is completely empty except for four ladies sitting on blankets, wrapped in blankets. They stayed there throughout the meeting. I went over and said, 鈥楲adies, I have to be here but you don鈥檛,鈥� but they said they鈥檇 never seen it snow at the rodeo, and they wanted to experience it. I said, 鈥業s there anything I can do for you?鈥� They said, 鈥榊eah, we could use some Jack (Daniel鈥檚) for our coffee.鈥� I went down to the whiskey stand, said 鈥楪ive me a black cup and fill it with Jack,鈥� took it back up to them and said 鈥楴ow, don鈥檛 you guys get tipsy,鈥� and they said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to make this last all day.鈥�

鈥淲hen we bucked the last bull at right around 4 p.m., I looked up, they were still sitting there and they haven鈥檛 moved. Those were true fans.鈥�