CLAREMORE, Okla. – The labor is intensive, but the work is worth it to the volunteers who produce the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo.
Workers have been busy giving the Will Rogers Stampede Arena a major facelift. The end result will be of tremendous benefit to the fans of the annual rodeo, set for 7:45 p.m. Friday, May 23-Sunday, May 25, at Will Rogers Stampede Arena. Discounted tickets can be found on the rodeo’s website, www.WillRogersStampede.com; fans can also follow the rodeo on Facebook.
“We’ve put in hundreds of hours into the reconstruction of our arena and making it a better experience for our fans,” said David Petty, chairman of the rodeo committee.
The bucking chutes will be moved from the north end of the arena to the east side, while all the seating will be on the west. That change will allow fans the opportunity to see all the action right before them.
“This change also allows all of our fans to have their backs to the sun, so it should be a more enjoyable experience,” Petty said. “No matter where you sit, you’ll have great seat for all the action.”
Ropers and wrestlers will cross the arena while making their runs as the crowd cheers, while the cowboys riding bucking horses and bulls will be coming right toward the fans. It makes for a great experience.
“We will have our bathrooms finished and ready for use this year, so we’ve really focused our attention on getting things ready for the fans,” Petty said. “As always, we’ll have various vendors and our concessions stand for everyone to enjoy.
“We’ve made a lot of changes in the last couple of years, and they’re all geared toward making the Will Rogers Stampede experience something great for everyone who comes. We want our fans to come back every night and tell their friends how much fun they had.”
Customer satisfaction is the key to any successful event.
“We’ve got the best stock contractor in rodeo in Pete Carr, and we’ve got the most sought-after acts in rodeo coming to our rodeo this year,” he said, referring to the One Arm Bandit, John Payne, and funnyman/clown John Harrison. “We purposefully have put all these things together to make this one of the very best events that Claremore has every year.”