Despite the cancellations of major summer rodeos like the Calgary Stampede and Cheyenne Frontier Days, Ellensburg is determined to rodeo come Labor Day weekend.
The rodeo committee is looking at every option for making its event a success this year, in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. The question now is, will state restrictions keep the rodeo from moving forward as planned.
On Friday, the committee sent out a variance request directly to Gov. Jay, along with plans for the 97th annual Ellensburg Rodeo (set for September 4-7).
“We expect to hear from the governor’s office next and we’ll follow up to see when they can schedule a meeting with the governor and (board president) Jerry Doolin,” Ellensburg Rodeo media director Jeff Lechleiter told The Daily Record. “Our rodeo is a little bit later this year and we should be into Phase 4 by then.
“We have three safety protocol plans we’ve been working on — A-B-C. Plan A is the same great rodeo people have seen for years. Plan B is to continue social distancing with all of the events surrounding the rodeo. Plan C is a contingency plan based on what the meeting with the governor has to say.”
The rodeo board is currently meeting weekly with a Kittitas County Health Officer as it plans for rodeo, as well as the World Finale of the PRCA’s Xtreme Bulls Tour.
Find out more here.