History
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The Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD), inarguably the largest outdoor rodeo in the world, started on September 23, 1897. Cheyenne, the capital of the state of Wyoming, has been the home of the American “wild west”, where horse-riding cowboys tended herds of cattle in the area. Thus, the event first took place when those cowboys started organizing casual rodeo competitions – a sport that tests the skills of cowboys in herding cattle such as bulls, against one another as they go back to their ranches. The first organizers of the event first set it up in 1897 to serve as a gathering of rodeo cowboys in Cheyenne, as they come together to “Celebrate the Spirit of the American West” (Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, n.d.).
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The inspiration for the event came from the “Running of the Bulls” tradition of Pamplona, Spain, where matadors – the Spanish version of cowboys, release and let raging bulls chase them across town in their daring attempts to control and tame the beasts (Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, n.d.).
Since 1897, organizers of the CFD have held the event for 10 days within the last week of July. The event has attracted an average of 200,000 visitors yearly, making it the largest rodeo in the world. Claiming to have withstood several kinds of weather conditions alongside manmade disasters such as the First and Second World Wars and the Great Depression of the 1930s, the event is also known as the “Daddy of ‘Em All” due to its long history and the fact that it is the largest rodeo competition in the world. The event has since grown into an excellent multi-entertainment event offering more beyond its main highlight – the rodeo competition. Organizers hold the event annually in a 100-acre park complex, complete with shops, exhibit halls, food stands, barns and large carnival facilities all celebrating the rich heritage of the Old American West. Interestingly, the event also features annual air show performances from the United States (US) Air Force Thunderbirds (The Real America, n.d.).
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Moreover, the event shares a distinct history with the Union Pacific Railroad (UPR), since its highest point is located in Sherman Hill, Cheyenne. The UPR, which has brought the first residents of Cheyenne who settled to work in the city, also brought in spectators to the event – now through the Cheyenne Frontier Days train that runs back and forth between the cities of Denver, Colorado and Cheyenne during the 10-day period of the event (The Real America, n.d.).
Economic Impact
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Since 1897, several volunteer organizers have helped organize the CFD, currently numbering around 2,500 annually. The volunteer organizers are responsible for maintaining numerous activities of the event, particularly the rodeo competition. Over 1,800 top rodeo cowboys in the rodeo tussle yearly for the grand prize of more than 1 million dollars – the biggest prize bounty for regular-season rodeo in the world. The large spectatorship of the event has since contributed to the economic well-being of Cheyenne since its inception. Indeed, the event runs through the mission statement of “Support the Community by Promoting Western Heritage, Encouraging Economic Success and Providing Educational Opportunities” (Cheyenne Frontier Days, 2012). The official Annual Report 2012 of the event has focused on economically beneficial undertakings such as maintaining animal care, infrastructural investments and providing community assistance, in part due to the massive revenue the event attracts, posting as high as $10,982,463.00 in 2012 (Cheyenne Frontier Days, 2012).
References
Cheyenne Frontier Days. (n.d.). In The Real America. Retrieved February 6, 2013, from http://www.rmi-realamerica.com/cheyenne-frontier-days.
Cheyenne Frontier Days. (2012). Annual report 2012. Cheyenne, WY: Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Cheyenne Frontier Days Walking Tall. (n.d.). In Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum. Retrieved February 6, 2013, from http://www.oldwestmuseum.org/walking_tall.asp.
