As the crowds thinned out at the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, vendors were closing deals on everything from cowboy hats and rodeo buckles to flag poles and teeth whitening Sunday afternoon.
John Garmon, 56, bought his first cowboy hat, a black felt chapeau for $180, he said.
“I’ve been in Denver 30 years,” he said it a broad smile. “I figured it was about time.”
Garmon, his wife and grandchild made their second trip to the shock show this year. The 16-day show drew 633,003 visitors, about 1.5 percent below the 643,100 last year. Still, it was the 13th year in a row that the show topped the 600,000 mark.
“Given the fact that the economy is down and that a lot of people are out of work, I think we had a wonderful year,” said Pat Grant, the stock show’s president. “Ticket sales are about what they were last year, livestock entries were up, auction prices were up. Given the challenges we faced, I’m pleased.”
A full house roared its approval at the last of 29 rodeos Sunday afternoon. The cattle were gone from the stockyards as crews cleaned up. The show was host to more than 15,000 animals — the usual array of cows, horses and pigs, but also alpaca, yak, rabbits, bison and even a bald eagle.
“That was better than awesome,” said José Moran, 10, of Aurora after posing for a picture with the white-headed raptor at an exhibition near the Children’s Ranchland area. “I’ve never even seen a horse in person before today.”
Grant said despite a good show this year, the National Western faces “significant and serious challenges.” The aging buildings and scattered parking lots are a source of expense to the show and frustration to vendors and show-goers, he said.
Other rodeos and trade shows have invested in new facilities because of the tourism value, while the National Western sits on the site where it began 104 years ago, served by a 52-year-old coliseum and a 38-year-old exhibition hall, and much of the fencing is more than 40 years old, he said.
Committees are meeting to form business plans, political strategy and feasibility studies for a new location, Grant said.
“If we don’t collectively invest in our future, we face a very dire future,” Grant said. “If our Western heritage is important, we’ll find a way to work together — the city and county of Denver, the Denver metro area, the state of Colorado — and find the cooperative spirit to go forward.”
Proceeds of the show provide scholarships for students who study farm and animal sciences, or other fields dedicated to farm and ranch communities. This year, the show funded 74 scholarships.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174
