Rodeo, Roundup look to connect community

With a rodeo that may be better than ever, even after nearly a half-century, and a city in search of staying power for a community event, perhaps the two can help both parties thrive.

The 48th annual Cheney Rodeo recently completed its three-day run at the Bi-Mart Arena and was one of the best officials said. "In a word, good," Rick Edwards said. Edwards is secretary of the Cheney Events Association, the organization behind the rodeo.

"I think 2013 was the best year we ever had," Edwards said. "It (2015) didn't stack up to that, but it's probably the second best year we ever had."

With the two years showing general improvement in attendance, "It's generally indicative of an upward trend," Edwards said. It's hard to say whether this is a permanent adjustment.

The quality of the contestant pool is one factor in the improving bottom line at the event and is something driven by bigger purses and better stock. "We have a good quality rodeo for the Pacific Northwest, one of the best around," Edwards said.

The 2014 rodeo featured Canadian-based stock contractor, Bar C 5 that Edwards called, "real good." They did a good job of matching riders and stock. "You don't want them all bucked off," he said.

The two-year-old Rodeo Round-up tried to lasso interest from both residents and visitors and corral it downtown for the rodeo parade. Debbie Anderson, who owns the Holiday Inn Express, as well as Against The Grain, was asked to help organize an event.

"It used to be that way years ago," Anderson said. "The vendors would be downtown and people would stay downtown all day for the parade."

While the rodeo showed a slight 8-percent increase in attendance according to Pro Rodeo Cowboy's Association secretary Trisha Davis-Stacy, the Roundup saw a decrease in vendor interest. The first round-up took place in 2014 with 52 vendors but partially due to rain, that number dropped to 40 this year,

Anderson signed vendors in advance for $20 each this year - up from $10 in 2014 - and also worked with downtown businesses to put together other activities and specials. There was a petting zoo, live music and a beer garden, all designed to be a magnet for rodeo visitors, many whom are not from Cheney.

Proceeds from the Rodeo Roundup went to the Cheney Events Association.

Anderson hopes the Roundup will galvanize the community in future years and bring the excitement found a few miles north of town to downtown.

"I think what we're trying to get it to evolve into is Cheney Rodeo Days, an entire weekend filled with rodeo and fun," Anderson explained.

Anderson said it was suggested that Cheney Rodeo organizers visit Newport, Wash. for their rodeo. "Not necessarily the rodeo but the whole event," she said.

Just days removed from the last bits of dust settling, the rodeo folks are already hard at it planning 2016.

"We've already got some projects that we're looking at," Edwards said. Those include improvements to the rough stock pen and the northeast bleachers that need attention. "We'll probably rebuild half of those if we get the funding we think we're going to get."

The association is already looking at acts for 2016, too. "We want to get the word out what we offer as soon as we can," Edwards said so people put Cheney in their calendar for 2016.

It's all pointed to the bigger picture of a concerted effort to build a community celebration just like those in nearly every other city and town, both big and small.

"Every community has a festival," Anderson said. "Why doesn't Cheney, what's going on?"

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].