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Letter: Rodeo Club responds

In regards to the letter to the editor from Mike Mullens in the May 39th BVD:

Mr. Mullens have you ever put on a rodeo? Do you know the cost involved with putting on a rodeo? The Lincoln Rodeo is not a huge money maker. Sometimes it barely breaks even. The club tries to maintain a reserve to cover the costs of the rodeo on years that are less than profitable.

The Forest Service rented the grounds for a short time in 2015 and then again in 2017. The club did not receive anything close to $50,000 for this rental.

The club has made improvements to the grounds over the last couple of years. The general public may not be aware of many of these improvements because they are improvements to the arena area to improve the safety of the livestock and the contestants. The club has purchased a new roping chute, stripping chute, and has replaced six of the bucking chutes. New bucking chutes are $7000.00 each, plus the cost of the concrete, pipe, torches and welders.

The club has also made improvements to the existing benches by covering them with trek and the club is having tables made.

The Lincoln Rodeo Club also sponsors two scholarships for the Lincoln Public Schools.

The Lincoln Rodeo grounds are unique in that they have a natural grandstand and that is the hillside. The location of the arena makes it difficult to install covered bleachers as the people sitting above would not be able to see the arena. The cost of building, maintaining and insuring covered bleachers is not feasible for the Lincoln Rodeo Club. It would also greatly increase the property taxes.

The Lincoln Rodeo Club tries to maintain the rodeo grounds to the best of their abilities with the funds they have available. The work that is done is done by volunteers who contribute many hours to the upkeep of the grounds. You are more than welcome to grab your umbrella and come on out and help.

Hope to see you all at the Rodeo, June 30 and July1, 2018

The Lincoln Rodeo Club

 

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