Value News Magazine January 2022 Bixby, Jenks & Sapulpa

Page 26

Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo Earns ‘Small Rodeo of the Year’ Honors BY TOM FINK

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Cooperative. “Getting recognized by both anuary, 2022: Since 1947, the Will contestants and our (rodeo) peers should Rogers Stampede PRCA has been be and is a tremendous source of pride, a favorite for rodeo fans, roping in not just for me as the rodeo chairman, but audiences every year with its cowboys, for the entire community, for Claremore competitions and other crowd-pleasing and really, the state.” events. Describing the sixth win (out of seven So favored is the Claremore-based nominations) as “unprecedented,” Petty rodeo that its recognition extends well nonetheless said, knowing all the people beyond Oklahoma, and at the recent awards banquet held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the work that goes into making the event a success, he’s not surprised. the rodeo was selected as the 2021 Small “For one thing, we’re equal money in all Rodeo of the Year by both the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and of our events, straight across the board – the Women’s Rodeo Association (WRPA). that helps with the contestants,” he said. “They (the contestants) always appreciate Although this was the first time for that – that we’re not singling out certain the rodeo to receive WRPA honors, this events – adding more money – than selection marks the sixth time that the others, which I think everyone always Will Rogers Stampede has been named appreciates. Small Rodeo of the Year by the PRCA, “We do feature our steer roping event – edging out other rodeo city finalists from Claremore is traditionally a steer-roping across the country, including Coulee City, rodeo – and the event itself is something Washington, Aberdeen, South Dakota, that everyone involved takes pride Abbyville, Kansas and Yuma, Colorado in,” he said. “Contestant hospitality and “This is our sixth win – six out of seven community support is second-to-none, nominations, and it’s quite an honor to there have been several improvements be recognized as a top-five rodeo by two to have taken place at the new Stamped fine organizations – the Professional Park, and we’ve been fortunate to have Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Rodeo Association – in the same sponsors to support (the rodeo) for the past 75 years. We wouldn’t have been able year,” said David Petty, Rodeo Chairman to produce the quality rodeo we have and Vice-Chair of the Rodeo Arena

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VALUE NEWS BIXBY, JENKS & SAPULPA JANUARY 2022 WWW.VALUENEWS.COM

without our volunteers and supporters.” VisitClaremore Executive Director Tanya Andrews concurs. “Because the nomination and voting comes from the contestants that means that the (rodeo) contestants want to come here and compete because of the stock, the hospitality, the community, etc. – that’s what makes this win – these wins – so special,” Andrews said. “It’s not that people uninvolved are the ones nominating us and voting on best rodeo of our size, it’s actually coming from the people who are coming here to compete.” Like Petty, Andrews credits much of the rodeo’s continued success to its supporters. “We have the best people,” she said. “Last year, our 75th year, we had several new volunteers who jumped in to make the rodeo special. We had a lot of great acts for our 75th year, and the community kicked the rodeo off with a new golf tournament called ‘Cowboys For Kids’, which was a partnership with Rogers County Youth Services, we were a part of Food Truck Thursday, and we had several events that happened at the rodeo, including some post-rodeo concerts performed by local artisans – it was very much an event that connected with the community.” Drawing 745 contestants and an estimated 15,000 spectators, the 2021 rodeo was held May 27-30, at Stampede Park, and the rodeo is traditionally held over Memorial weekend. Started in 1946, the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo joined the PRCA in 1947. The rodeo is a partnership of the City of Claremore, the Board of County Commissioners for Rogers County and the Will Rogers Round Up Club. For more information about the 2022 rodeo can be found at www.visitclaremore. org or www.willrogersstampede.com

Visit Claremore

400 VETERANS PARKWAY | CLAREMORE, OK (918) 341-8688 | WWW.VISITCLAREMORE.ORG  @WILLROGERSSTAMPEDE Above: Rogers County Commissioner Dan DeLozier (from left), David Petty, Rodeo Chairman, Tanya Andrews, VisitClaremore, and Claremore City Manager John Feary were all smiles when the Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo was named Small Rodeo of the Year.


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