The Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo last weekend was predicted to contribute several hundred thousands dollars to the local economy.
“I don’t know of any event in Montezuma County that has had a bigger (economic) impact,” said rodeo promoter and organizer Slim McWilliams, although he declined to speculate on an exact amount.
McWilliams said the 2012 rodeo had 245 entrants, and approximately 50 percent of those brought at least one companion with them. Most are from the Four Corners states.
He said there is no way to know how many days a participant might stay in the county or what local businesses and restaurants they would visit. Some come in on the day of the event in which they hope to participate and leave the next day if they don’t qualify for the next round. At a minimum, contestants will end up purchasing a tank of gas and two to three meals.
Last year there were 204 contestants for the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo. McWilliams said that was the lowest number of contestants in the history of the rodeo, now in its 82nd year. He said high gas prices and concerns over a disease that many thought cattle was picking up at rodeos convinced people to stay away, but even with the smaller participation last year, Cortez motels still were nearly full.
This year the rodeo itself had 55 employees who stayed in Cortez and worked at the rodeo for the entire week. The stock contractor brought another 24 people. The rodeo also created demand for livestock feed.
Nearly 4,000 spectators attended the rodeo, and although that attendance doesn’t translate into high-dollar gate receipts, those people also spend money locally.
To further spur the local economy, McWilliams and other rodeo organizers decided to move the chuckwagon supper to City Park in hopes it would convince those attending to visit nearby businesses. Last year the supper attracted 122 people, and McWilliams hoped increased visibility would double that number this year.
Montezuma County Administrator Ashton Harrison said the rodeo obviously has a huge impact on the local economy, although he also did not offer concrete figures..
Holding a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event in the county not only is a financial boon, Harrison said, it’s a also a tip of the cowboy hat to Southwest Colorado’s farmers and ranchers.
The rodeo paid the county $1,750 per day to use the entire fairgrounds, excluding the racetrack.
The local rodeo organization itself received $25,000 from the carnival that is held in conjunction with the three-day event. That fee paid for use of the fairgrounds. Prize money is the combination of committee added money and contestant entry fees.
Any funds left over will be used to make improvements at the fairgrounds.
“If we are successful at improving the fairgrounds they will be able to bring more (and bigger) events here,” McWilliams said. In this area, only Farmington, N.M., can accommodate larger events.
Harrison said any improvements made to the fairgrounds are deducted from the user fee for the following year. As an example, he mentioned the chain-link fence put up last year at a cost of about $18,500 that was funded by the rodeo.
Harrison said such improvements must benefit everyone, not just the rodeo.
Reach Michael Maresh at michaelm@cortezjournal.com