BROKEN BOW – The Custer County Ag Society held its February meeting on Thursday, February 9, with the Mid-States Rodeo contract for 2023 and 2024 square in the spotlight.
Jason Schnoor, president of the Mid-States Rodeo Association, appeared before the board to hammer out details of the contract for the next two years; improving attendance numbers and revenue, he said, should be a collaborative effort between the fairgrounds and the Mid-States Rodeo Association.
“The big thing in the room is bringing people this rodeo. Everything on this list costs money, and I know that’s an issue. I want to start the conversation with you guys: what can we do to help?”
Both the Ag Society and Mid-States have recognized the rodeo’s steadily-declining attendance numbers, and Schnoor pointed to potential solutions drawn from nearby, well-attended events.
“The big ones are very well-advertised. They’re very well-advertised, and the after-rodeo stuff, the dances and things draws half the crowd.”
The Ag Society, for its part, has recently secured a $4500 grant specifically for advertising the Mid-States Rodeo, which according to its president, should go a long way in helping to spread the word.
One suggestion brought up by the Mid-States Rodeo president to alleviate some of the advertising’s financial burden was to look outside the immediate community for bigger names.
“Have you ever thought about trying to get a title sponsor, thought about shooting off a few e-mails to a Coors or some bigger companies? We’ve had them in the past, at one point it was the Woodhouse Mid-States Rodeo Association, and the last year we had them was $15,000.”
President Schnoor presented an additional concern on behalf of rodeo participants, as well: the lack of hard alcohol served on the fairgrounds during the Mid-States stretch. The difficulty for the Ag Society in providing that service stems from the acquisition of a proper license; a possible solution would be to outsource bar service to an entity with that license, however, the worry is that revenue from sales would be funneled away from the fairgrounds and into the pockets of those providing the service, as well as added strain on security and insurance.
Nothing was resolved officially, though the contract through 2024 was signed; both the Ag Society and the Mid-States Rodeo Association have vowed, moving forward, to increase communication at all stages of the collaboration.
An update from the Horse Committee revealed the results of a recent survey regarding the potential movement of the county fair’s horse shows; between moving the shows to the Sunday before the fair, moving them to the late afternoon and evening, or maintaining their current slots, voters elected to keep the shows’ dates and times the same, with a caveat.
While the show’s times and dates will remain the same, the committee proposed that 4-Hers showing pigs, sheep, dairy, and beef cattle in addition to horses will have the option to stall or not stall their horses at the fair without the risk of losing their premiums. The proposal was passed unanimously by the board; it will now fall to the 4H Council for approval before the possibility of implementation.
Fan installation for the indoor arena and the show ring was tabled; two bids are currently open. Likewise, discussion for the safety improvements for the return alley was tabled; several panels had been recently salvaged after a collapse during the recent snows, and the Ag Society is exploring possible solutions, which could include freestanding panels.
The Ag Society also approved unanimously the arena rental contracts for the coming year; the changes include a $50 per-day fee increase which includes the use of a tractor along with a fairgrounds-approved list of drivers, a $15 per-stall-per-night charge, a requirement that stall renters are responsible for cleaning, and a $200 increase in the roping chute removal fee.
No decision was made regarding the demolition of Barns 1, 7, and 8 and the restrooms behind the grandstands; two bids were opened, though due to discrepancies between the bids, and an uncertain reconstruction timeline, the subject was tabled.
The meeting adjourned at 8:46 p.m.
