Piles of snow, a white tent and a rodeo clown — but no children.
The Activity Pavilion at the National Western Stock Show, Rodeo & Horse Show was quiet Monday as winter weather forced school groups to cancel visits.
But Duane Reichert, a rodeo entertainer for four decades, remained hopeful as he set up for his 10 a.m. show, Back Stage with a Rodeo Clown.
“Everything will go on,” he said. “Usually, we have a full tent, with over 200 people.”
The show was delayed about 15 minutes before getting an audience of two families.
Olivia Young, 6, was among the three children at the intimate 25-minute show. She sat on her father’s lap to keep warm.
“My toes are cold,” Olivia said.
She and her dad, Todd, said their favorite part of the show was the animals. “He incorporated a lot of them,” Todd Young said.
Stars of the show included a ferret, goat, guinea pig, two dogs, rabbit and rooster.
Another star of course was Reich- ert. “There’s educational value to this,” he said. “It’s an experience to learn about rodeos.”
Now in its fourth year at the stock show, Back Stage with a Rodeo Clown is a nationally acclaimed youth show, Reichert said.
Olivia, who came with a school group, Colorado Virtual Academy, was part of several acts.
“It was a nice small group, and she got to be a part of the show,” Todd Young said. “We’re just looking forward to an exciting day at the stock show.”
Sally S. Ho: 303-954-1638 or sho@denverpost.com
