Published: May 05, 2008 11:36 am         

Rodeo improves upon itself this year

Chamber director says annual event increased in profit, attendance

Rodeos are competitive events, but according to Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce Director John Broyles, they are also part of the American culture.

Broyles said attendance at last weekend’s Chamber of Commerce Rodeo — his first as director — was as good as or better than last year.

“We don’t have any of the numbers yet, but our attendance at the rodeo was better, I think, than it has ever been. The rodeo has grown, and the community has reacted so positively toward it. We count it as one of the main activities we do each year,” he said.

Modern rodeos are headed in a new direction, he said.

“The rodeos of the past were community efforts and local gatherings. Now, we’ve professionalized everything,” he said.

Local rodeo fans are a key to Gainesville’s success.

So is good planning.

Improvements this year, Broyles said, included additional lighting equipment for the arena and parking lot powered by large diesel generators.

Organizers also provided a shuttle to the event since the arena area can accommodate only about 250 cars.

Over 100 guests parked their cars outside Robert E. Lee Intermediate School and rode the trolley to the Gainesville Riding Club Arena during the Friday and Saturday night performances.

Cooke County Sheriff’s deputies were on hand each night to ensure the safety of pedestrians near the arena parking lot.

“We moved a lot of people in quite a few trips on the trolley. Everything worked very efficiently, from pickup to drop off. People really liked the trolley,” he said.

The physical condition of the arena is always a concern for the chamber as officials prepare for the annual rodeo.

“It takes a lot of time and money to get this facility ready each year,” he said.

Rodeo events began Wednesday night with a mixer in the parking lot of the American Bank of Texas.

The Calcutta style auction for the teams which participated in the goat milking contest brought in at least $3,000 for the chamber, he noted.

The new Gainesville Livestock Auction took first prize in the event Thursday night.

Broyles said Wednesday’s “slack” night — a event which gives performers who didn’t get a slot on the rodeo’s performance roster a chance to ride — drew a crowd that brought in about 75 livestock trailers.

Broyles said promoter Will Cook brought in good stock for the competition.

Organizers also increased the pay-outs for the top finishers.

“We decided to bump up the prize money this year and put some extra incentive into the event to make participants want to come back next year,” he said.

Other contests such as the scoop races and the calf scramble drew a large number of participants.

Broyles said events such as the rodeo bring visitors to Gainesville and provide a entertainment for residents.

“We bucked harder. We roped tighter. We raced smoother, and we rodeoed better than ever before,” he said.

Reporter Delana Trigg may be contacted at dtrigg@ntin.net