CASPER, Wyo. — Governor Mark Gordon provided further comment in a Thursday, May 28 press release regarding the cancellation of six large rodeos across Wyoming which were announced Wednesday.
Gordon re-emphasized that the state did not force the cancellation of the rodeos, noting that other rodeo events will go on this summer in Wyoming.
“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,” Gordon said. “As Governor, I support the choice made by these [rodeo] 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.”
“As I stated at yesterday’s 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.”
Gordon said that the state is working to ensure that the Wyoming State Fair, county fairs and local rodeos can go on this summer. As he did during Wednesday’s press conference, Gordon explained some of the reasons behind rodeo organizers’ decisions to cancel.
“Large rodeos are expensive undertakings that rely on attendance, sponsors, local support, and most of all, volunteers,” he said, “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.”
Gordon added that the decision was difficult for all involved and that he is aware how much rodeos mean to some businesses and communities.
“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,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Oil City News. Used with permission.
The Wyoming Department of Health provides COVID-19 case, variant, death, testing, hospital and vaccine data online. The department also shares information about how the data can be interpreted. COVID-19 safety recommendations are available from the CDC.
