2010 Hub City Days Professional Rodeo – July 2-3, 2010
RODEO IS ALIVE AND WELL IN MT. PLEASANT
From time to time a pretty good success story comes along that kind of renews a person’s faith in the good ole principle of service. And yes…Pay as you go. Now if you’re in the rodeo business it is almost certain that bigger generally means better. We live in a society where tax dollars, grant money, and huge debt can make the wildest dreams and imagination come true. Especially when it comes to fairgrounds, indoor arenas, barns and stalls, awe…the list goes on and on. Now if you’re a cowboy or cowgirl you don’t have to drive very far in the state of Utah to pull into a fairgrounds or rodeo facility that just makes your spurs jingle right on the floor boards. You can hardly wait to get saddled up and ride right into the middle of that freshly watered and worked sand, or what ever. I think you know what I mean.
Casey Mascaro of Circle J Rodeo & Livestock recently partnered with the rodeo committee in Mt.Pleasant Utah for our 3rd and 4th of July Hub City Days celebration. This year Mt. Pleasant will be celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary. Just incase your like me and can’t even say it, a little own know what it means, 2009 marks the 150th year of being a big city. I think we are somewhere between 2500 and 3000 strong. Well it may not be big to most people but as far as we who live here are concerned it is just about right. We have a High School, elementary school, hospital, motel, drug stores, pizza joint, couple fast foods that aren’t real fast (they make it fresh), sandwich shop, café, radio shack, furniture store, couple banks, sporting goods stores, auto repair shops, grocery store and numerous other small businesses that try to support each other, and last but not least a rodeo grounds, located right on the main drag next to the city park.
We share this story in hope that it might inspire other small town’s people to get off the couch and go to work. It’s probably worth saving or creating.
In 1999 the Mt. Pleasant City council was approached by some developers who felt the location of the rodeo property would make an ideal setting for small business entrepreneurs to try their hand at different business ventures. Kind of a strip mall, shopping plaza, surly anything would be better than an old run down rodeo grounds. After all this is prime commercial property just waiting to be tapped. It was Obvious that nobody cared about the rodeo facility any more. The fence was shot, the ground was dry and hard, there were no concession stands, no rest rooms, and seating was marginal at best. Once in a while a few 4 H kids would show up for an hour or two, but the reject sand was just about as hard as a well traveled dirt road and ever bit as dusty. The two 4 H leaders were plenty willing but getting tired of their begging and pleading for someone to work the ground for the most part falling on deaf ears. It seemed interest in the old rodeo grounds had died off with the old cowboys and cowgirls that had ounce thrived during the 70s and 80s. Sound familiar? I’m almost certain that this scenario has played out somewhere…
When word got out that the city fathers were ready to sign on the dotted line and if anyone gives a hoot they could voice their concerns at the appointed council meeting.
Well, have you ever noticed how people react when they are about to loose something they don’t care about until somebody else wants it? I have never seen standing room only at a city council meeting in my whole life. I hate to admit it but I haven’t been to many city council meetings. It was pretty cool to see so many people get right down fired up about the possibility of loosing their beloved rodeo grounds. The towns people made it known that they did not want the rodeo grounds or parking lot sold and transformed into a commercial development. The facility was still considered a valuable asset to the community. By the end of the evening it was clear in the hearts and minds of every individual present that if they wanted to keep the rodeo and facility intact they would need to prove their loyalty. This was the fuel that propelled those individuals and others to form a rodeo committee that has stuck together for the past eleven years.
We now have a strong six foot pipe and wire fence, a very adequate concession stand, holding pen, fenced warm up area, restrooms with flushable toilets, VIP seating complete with wheelchair ramp, two additional sections of seating, good lighting, Olympic style sound system, and a very proud community of their rodeo grounds. This year we are looking forward to improving the rough stock and roping chutes. We are excited to welcome the Mascaro Circle J Rodeo company and the Rocky Mountain Professional Rodeo Association cowboys, cowgirls, and fans to the Mount Pleasant 3rd and 4th of July Rodeo. We hope to see you there and May God bless the trails you ride.
Sincerely, Kevin Stallings
Rodeo Committee Chairman