Andy Seiler announces his passion for Estes Park and the Rooftop
ESTES PARK, Colo. – The first time Andy Seiler arrived in Estes Park, he was immediately taken in by its beauty.
It’s hard to find a place with as much eloquence, a touch of grace with what looks to be within reach of the heavens. What he quickly found out, though, was there’s much more to the town than its status among tourists. There’s a Western heritage, which is reflected in the annual Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Saturday, July 5-Thursday, July 10, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds.
“Estes Park is not just a great guest destination, but it’s also a place rodeo contestants look forward to visiting every year,” said Seiler, now in his 10th year announcing Rooftop Rodeo. “I’ve actually heard of multiple contestants who skip other rodeos so they could stay in Estes Park a couple of extra days.
“That says something about Estes Park, but it’s also says something about Rooftop Rodeo.”
He’s right. Millions of tourists make their way to this town of 5,800 people between Memorial Day to Labor Day, and hundreds of them are cowboys and cowgirls who are in town during early July. They enjoy the trappings the community has to offer as well as the scenic overlay from Rocky Mountain National Park.
“I can bring my family, and we can kind of recharge our batteries in one of the most beautiful spots in the country,” said Seiler, who lives in Ocala, Florida, with his wife, Lauren, and their two children. “Living in Florida, being in the Rocky Mountains is a nice change in July. It’s also one of the things that’s a feature in my cap, not just the rodeo but the town of Estes Park.
“It’s just an easy place to visit. Every time I’ve been there, I feel like it’s a family reunion. You feel like you’re a part of their family, and they treat you as such. That matters, because you’re now part of a team. You want to feel like you’re part of what’s happening. They’ve been growing, and while I can’t take credit for the growth they’ve experienced, I’m proud to say that I’ve been there since they’ve been growing.”
That’s been the case for the last decade, but local organizers have done some things to help that growth continue. They’ve listened to the contestants and made the changes necessary to improve. The rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, will feature an increased payout this year. The town is contributing $10,000 per event, which will then be added to the contestants’ entry fees to make up the purse. That’s an upturn of more than $20,000 overall in prize money.
“The neat thing about when rodeos do that is now it puts the ball in the cowboys’ and cowgirls’ court to make a business decision,” Seiler said. “If a rodeo is making changes and adding a little more money to elevate their product, then you have to consider events like that. Kudos to Rooftop Rodeo for doing that, because it’s easy to stay stagnant.
“If you don’t continue to make those changes, you’re not going to continue to get the caliber of talent you want, because the ‘added money” seems to be increasing in most places because events want the top level of talent.”
Rodeo is a fine mix of competition and family-friendly entertainment. Cowboys and cowgirls not only battle for the titles and the paydays, but also dollars equal championship points in the sport. Only the top 15 on the money list in each event at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the sport’s grand finale, the National Finals Rodeo.
By increasing the local money into the purse, the town and the rodeo are providing even greater incentives for the sport’s elite to make their way to Estes Park.
“I think rodeo has changed in how serious people are about their business,” Seiler said. “They’ve got books about how they enter, but they’ve also got a nutrition book and a fitness book. I think that’s why we see the caliber of talent not only rise, but we’re seeing success at a younger age.”
Yes, Seiler is Rooftop Rodeo’s emcee, the man who calls the action, educates the crowd and energizes everyone within earshot, but he’s also a rodeo fan with the best seat in the house. He sits horseback while doing his job, maneuvering about Granny May Arena to not only get the best perspective of the action but to also interact well with the fans.
He has the ability to take his words and help make fir a better experience for every fan in the complex.
“I probably work 20 percent of my rodeos horseback, and it just depends on where I am as to what works best,” he said. “In Estes Park, I’d say it’s about 95 percent urban people at the rodeo, so when you’re horseback, you can get right next to people and really point things out. You get a feel for the audience.
“I just feel there’s such a strong connection with them because I can see them, and they can see me. It just make sense there more than anywhere else.”
The connection is real and the presentation seamless, because Andy Seiler is more than the voice of Rooftop Rodeo; he’s also the face of Estes Park’s Western heritage.
Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 5-Thursday, July 10, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.