The boys are back in town for the 109th Clovis Rodeo

from Clovis Roundup - April 27, 2023

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Clovis Roundup Staff

@ClovisRoundup

April 26, 2023 — It is once again Rodeo Week in Clovis, California and events are planned for the entirety of the week starting Monday and ending Sunday (4/24-4/30).

Inside of the Clovis Rodeo Hall, the 21st annual Clovis Rodeo Blood Drive will be held Monday and Tuesday from 7 AM-5 PM each day.

Alongside these two days will be qualification for the Breakaway Roping event. From 9-11 AM, the qualifier ran as a non-ticketed event on Monday morning.

The top twenty-four cowgirls will come back to compete during PRCA rodeo action Thursday through Sunday.

“Slack”, which is the term used for qualifying rodeo participants, will be held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. During these morning slack events, it is estimated that more than 800 cowboys and cowgirls will be trying to qualify for fifteen slots in each event during their respective rodeo performances.

The Professional Bull Riding Touring Pro Division looks to open the Rodeo officially on Wednesday, April 26th and will be followed by LOCASH, the country band, in concert. The 2023 Clovis Queen Coronation will take place during the intermission of Wednesday’s events.

On Thursday, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rodeo Performances begin at 6 PM with steer wrestling, bareback, women’s breakaway roping, tie-down roping, team roping, mutton bustin’, saddle bronc, barrel racing, and bull riding.

Thursday’s musician at the conclusion of the Rodeo events will be Nate Smith.

Friday will see more PRCA Rodeo Performances, again beginning at 6 PM followed with a concert by country artist Michael Ray.

Saturday is the day of the annual Clovis Rodeo Parade that will trace the streets of Old Town Clovis.

The parade starts at 9 AM and will head down Pollasky and Clovis Avenues. After the parade, performances begin at 2:00 PM with an after party to immediately follow the conclusion of the day’s events in the concession area.

The Clovis Rodeo Dance will begin Saturday evening in the Clovis Rodeo Hall at 7:30 PM with live music from Chris Curtice and the Wild Horses. Tickets for the dance can be bought for $15.

Finally, Sunday the Final Rodeo Performances beginning at 2 PM, preceded by a Special Kids Rodeo that is in partnership with Break the Barriers.

The Special Kids Rodeo plans to get started at around 12 PM on Sunday.

Tickets for the Rodeo range from $20-35. There is no additional charge for the KISS Country Concert Series.

The Clovis Rodeo Association encourages ticket buyers to “take advantage of a concert series ticket package,” where the purchase of any two-concert night tickets gets a $5-off coupon.

With the purchase of all three concert night tickets, a $10-off coupon can be applied.

The Rodeo Ticket Office is located at the rodeo grounds off of Clovis Avenue and is open 9 AM-5 PM daily. You can learn more at clovisrodeo.com in its reboot last year- 2021. The estimated number for revenue generated for the City of Clovis last year was $12 million, but that number is expected to be much greater this year, as the rodeo association is projecting record numbers of attendees.

Ron Dunbar was the President of the Clovis Rodeo Association from 2010 to 2012, yet took a leave from the position until this last year in 2021.

“I mean I just enjoy it. [It’s] a bit of a passion. I grew up around the Clovis Rodeo. I never missed one as a kid; I was three months [or] four months [old] when I watched my first rodeo and ten was when I was actually in my first rodeo… it’s a long family tradition,” Dunbar stated when prompted for an explanation on his return to the presidency.

With the rodeo projected to host significantly more attendees than years prior, it is no contest that the rodeo and its hard-working event organizers and volunteers are up to their horse necks in preparation. This is especially true due to this year being the first year of the pandemic that there are significantly looser restrictions for entry to the event.

“Yeah, we’ll expect a lot bigger turn-out this year... last year was a tough year but we did what we had to do to make it work and we’ll be expecting large crowds for all five days.”

Although the association is anxious about how the event will turn out, nothing tops the excitement for the event’s preparation and the feedback from the attendees that hold the rodeo so near and dear to their hearts.

“The fruits of our labor are at the end of the day- we get a lot of great feedback. I’m right in front of the bucking chute so I can hear everything and it’s, uh, pretty amazing when you hear the crowd go off.”

The projected number of cowboys and cowgirls participating in the event and competing for the sum of prize money is the greatest it's been in recent history, with a staggering 741 competitors. “We got the greatest cowboys and cowgirls from across the country, and around the world, that come to Clovis, California. It’s a big event, so we want to make sure we give our fans only the best.”

Dunbar stated that the number of entries by cowboys and cowgirls submitted was well over 800, closer to the 900 range, but the event could simply not host that many entries. He said, “It’s flattering.”

On top of the magnificent rodeo, the event also, in a way, showcases what Dunbar stated are “only the best in stock.” Animals are brought in from regions such as Canada, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington.

“We bring in good, strong animals for our cowboys and cowgirls to compete with.”

If the rodeo is not really your gig, the event also hosts a wonderful selection of ‘Clovis-famous’ entrees to enjoy and plenty of sights to help create memories that’ll last a lifetime.

The 108th Clovis Rodeo kicks off on April 20th and is here to stay until April 24th. For more information and ticket purchasing, you can visit ‘CLOVISRODEO.COM’.

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Saturday mornings from 9:00am to 11:30am. Located

GLORIOUS JUNK DAYS - MAY 28, 2023

In Old Town along Pollasky from 7AM to 3PM. Glorious items not normally seen at our Vintage & Antiques repurposed items, DIY projects, handcrafted artisan as well as the antiques you’ve come to enjoy in Old to 8:30 PM. Located in the heart of Old Town Town Market Friday vibe is as fresh as the live music from our very own local artists and Located on Pollasky between 5th & Bullard.