Early rodeo entertains families, class trips
Families, school field trips and play groups sat on the edges of their seats to watch as athletes hung on to harshly bucking horses for dear life at the National Western Stock Show on Thursday morning.
Yes, you read that right. Morning.
“There’s something we don’t say at rodeos,” said rodeo clown Justin Rumford as he greeted the crowd with a “good morning.”
“I think this is the only rodeo that happens before 11 a.m.,” Rumford said.
Rodeos typically are presented at night, when loud music, neon lights and exhilarating athletics feel much more fitting. This one, which attracted many young children, was created to reduce sensory overload, making it more it a more palatable experience.
The sensory-friendly event aimed to decrease bright lights and loud sounds to accommodate people that may be sensitive to processing these effects.
“We want to give everyone a chance to enjoy the rodeo without the extra production, which can be overwhelming,” said Danielle Lewis, who coordinates creative services for the stock show.
Gretchen Montez, from Sheridan, strapped her 16-month-old daughter into her baby sling to bring her to her first rodeo. Montez, who’s attended and partaken in many rodeos, knew of the chaotic, booming environment that rodeos typically occur in. The early timing of the rodeo made it easier for Montez to take her young daughter.
“I was nervous about bringing her because I knew it would be loud and she might be scared of the fireworks,” she said. “But I just walked her outside for that part.”
Karen Woods, director of marketing and public relations for National Western, said there are still production aspects to work out for next year to make the sound and lighting even more tolerable for sensory-disabled people.
Although the morning start time allowed more young children to attend, perhaps it’s too much to ask for rodeos to kick those “nighttime” habits entirely.
It was only 11:15 a.m. when Rumford, in a continuation of his lighthearted riff on it being so early, asked the crowd, “I know there’s a lot of kids here, but does anybody have a beer yet?”