By Ted Harbin
GUYMON, Okla. – The volunteers who produce the annual Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo reached out, and crowds of people answered.
Not only were there a record number of entries featured in the weeklong festivities at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena, but the fans responded, too. On Saturday night alone, many of the top cowboys in the sport competed before a crowd that swelled the bleachers to capacity. Seats were hard to come by, and that was a welcome sight to the organizers.
“Saturday night was the largest crowd I personally remember,” said Jim Quimby, the chairman of the rodeo committee. “I’ve had several others tell me the same things. The aluminum bleachers were full and the grandstands were full. A lot of people were standing up behind the grandstands on the top, so it’s difficult to get the numbers.”
Large is a pretty good description.
“I’m not sure if it’s the biggest, but Saturday night’s crowd definitely rivals the biggest crowd we’ve ever had,” said Ken Stonecipher, a longtime member of the committee who also called the action as one of the arena announcers. “It was definitely a capacity crowd, and the fans were great.”
It was just one of four fabulous performances of Oklahoma’s Richest Rodeo. The event, one of the biggest in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, featured world champions and elite competitors in each event and were part of the record 958 entries. That alone helped the crowd get into the action.
“We’re still basking in the afterglow of glorious weather, which makes everything look great the first weekend in May in Guymon, but the competition was outstanding,” Stonecipher said. “The number of contestants was better than we’ve ever had. From a production standpoint, everything went smooth and even. It was one of the best rodeos we’ve ever had.”
Top cowboys and tremendous bucking stock make for a fantastic rodeo combination. Carr Pro Rodeo served as the primary stock contractor, but Pete Carr and his crew were assisted by Korkow Rodeos and Powder River Rodeo Co./D&H Cattle Co. Bucking beasts that were selected to recent Wrangler National Finals Rodeos filled each of the weekend performances.
“Pete Carr runs a great rodeo,” Quimby said. “He’s so intent on making sure things click. Everything just needs to keep moving and having people wanting to come back and see the next performance. But a show like this keeps people’s attention.”
So did Keith Isley, rodeo’s top entertainer who nearly swept all the awards in his categories in 2009. When the action slowed, Isley and his humor picked it up. He engaged and entertained the crowd all weekend long.
“Every moment was filled with something fun, and that keeps people talking,” Quimby said.
A good funnyman/barrelman is integral to the overall entertainment value of a rodeo. Even when a rodeo is the best entertainment dollar people can find in a tough economy, Isley adds so much to the show because he can help keep the crowd on the edge of its seat.
“From a show perspective, it’s nice to have Keith involved because his timing is so great,” Stonecipher said. “When you have a bull that won’t stand up or a horse that’s hard to get out on, he just steps in, says something and makes it look flawless. For example, when bareback horse Dirty Jacket jumped the fence into the calf pen, then came back through the gate, he said, ‘We’ve been practicing that all week. That’s exactly how we had it planned.’
“That’s something that just adds to the show.”
And while Isley isn’t in town every year, the philosophy is always the same for the people who make things work well for the fans.
“That rodeo runs so smooth,” Quimby said. “We’ve got great stock, great competitors. To me, it would be hard to top what happened this year. From when we started with the Running of the Bull Calves the first Saturday (April 24), we had a great event. The slack that we had before the performances went so smooth, that it was really nice.”
But to make it go smoothly, there are plenty of man-hours involved. And, in most cases, they’re all volunteer. Members of the community come out to help put on the event that provides the largest economic impact to Guymon each year. From gathering sponsorships to preparing signage to getting the arena prepared, there are thousands of hours involved.
A core group of volunteers spends each year meeting and planning, and hundreds help make it happen the week of the rodeo.
“We are blessed to have excellent committee members,” Quimby said. “Waylon Wehmeier kept his time for us, and he spent 156 hours keeping the arena watered and plowed. He was the first one there and the last one to leave, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg as to the commitment our volunteers have.”
So why were so many people interested in the Guymon rodeo?
“We appreciate the fans coming out so much,” he said. “We had great weather, and I believe our performances show that rodeo is a great form of entertainment. This is one of the finest shows you can go to.”
