Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Rodeo postponed until July
SILOAM SPRINGS — The annual Siloam Springs Rodeo is postponed until July 16 through 18, the Siloam Springs Rodeo and Riding Club announced May 7.
The rodeo was originally scheduled for June 18-20, but the club’s board decided to push the dates back a month because of the covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on large events, according to board member Karen Davis.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced May 4 indoor and outdoor venues for large groups may open Monday on a limited basis, according to a news release from his office. However, both the number of performers and audience members are limited to 50 or fewer people and strict social distancing requirements are in place for performers, contestants and members of the audience, the release states.
In contrast, the rodeo generally has hundreds of contestants and thousands of audience members each night of the event.
“With the governor’s mandates, there is no way to have (the rodeo) if things stay the same, if you can’t have over 50 people,” Davis said. “Without knowing when or if that will change, we decided to go ahead and push it back some with the hopes we can have it then.”
There are no guarantees the rodeo will be able to take place in July, but Davis is hopeful sponsors and audience members will continue to support the event, she said. It was difficult to pick a date because other rodeos have also been rescheduled and the Siloam Springs Rodeo had to find a date open with stock contractors, she said.
There will be no other changes to the event except the dates, Davis said. The Wing Rodeo Company will still serve as stock contractor, she said.
This is the second time in the rodeo’s history it’s been postponed. In 2015, the event was pushed back a month because of severe weather and flooding predicted during its original date.
“We are just praying that everything works out and above all that everyone stays safe,” Davis said.
Janelle Jessen may be reached by email at jjessen@nwadg.com.