Attendance at Cheyenne Frontier Days events this year increased by almost 23% over the last year the rodeo was held, the organization reported on Sunday.
A record number of 267,369 rodeo and concert tickets were sold over the 10-day period, an increase of 22.6% over the 2019 rodeo and rivaling the 100th anniversary in 1996. Both Saturday rodeos and the Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton concerts were sold out.
“After missing a year, it was amazing to see how our volunteers and everyone involved came together to produce a fantastic event,” said Jimmy Dean Siler, CFD general chairman. “I can’t say thank you enough to the fans, competitors, performers and volunteers and most of all this great Cheyenne community.”
Rodeo attendance through nine performances was 111,617 compared to 97,373 in 2019, an increase of over 14%. Total attendance for Frontier Nights concerts and events was 155,618 compared to 120,518 in 2019, a 29% increase.
The total number of people entering Frontier Days Park increased as well, but official numbers were not immediately available because there was no cost to enter the rodeo grounds during much of the event.
The 2021 rodeo had 1,403 contestants competing for over $1 million in prize money.
At the championship final rodeo on Sunday, 14,925 fans witnessed history when reigning all-around champion Stetson Wright won his second consecutive title, the first time in more than 60 years a cowboy competing from the bucking chutes has done that.
Frontier Days officials said the week’s four parades through downtown Cheyenne were extremely well attended and two of those parades were broadcast by the Cowboy Channel. In addition, the three pancake breakfasts held near the Union Pacific depot saw 19,025 meals served and approximately 50,000 people visited the Indian Village on the rodeo grounds.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds performed Wednesday over F.E. Warren Air Force Base to a crowd of approximately 5,756 people in attendance on base.
This year’s Frontier Days was dedicated to Chris LeDoux, the country music star who competed in Frontier Days rodeos before making it big in music.
Garth Brooks and Ned LeDoux, LeDoux’s son, spoke at the dedication of the bigger-than-life bronze statue of LeDoux titled Just LeDoux It that was added to Frontier Park this year to commemorate the event’s 125th anniversary.
This year, CFD organizers introduced a clear bag policy, encouraged the use of digital tickets and increased sanitation stations to make the event as safe as possible for everyone involved.
An estimated 6,000 animals made their way through the rodeo arena, parades and the bull riding. All animals are checked multiple times throughout the day with their health and welfare being of primary concern.
CFD veterinarians treated seven animals and all but two were expected to make a full recovery.
