In a monumental move for the rodeo world, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has signaled their interest to move the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy from its home of nearly 50 years in Colorado Springs to Cheyenne.
The decision helps solidify discussions that have been taking place between the city's economic development organization Cheyenne LEADS and the PRCA ahead of the Wyoming legislative session next month, when budget decisions will be made.
PRCA’s move is contingent on funding for the move, as well as securing a suitable location for the headquarters and its hall of fame, which officials say has no room for expansion at its location near Pikes Peak, where it has existed since it opened in August 1979.
The PRCA Board of Directors deliberated for two days last week on close to a dozen offers it said it had received, seeking to move the organization to a new home. A bidding war ensued between a number of cities after it became known the organization was considering an invitation from Wyoming to move there.
That touched off discussions with Fort Worth, Texas, as well as Cody, Wyoming. But ultimately, it was Cheyenne’s bid that won the board’s approval, with a non-binding memorandum of understanding to “seriously consider” moving to the Cowboy State, “where rodeo is officially recognized as Wyoming’s professional sport, by vote of the Wyoming Legislature.”
The decision was reached after productive discussions from multiple locations, and included a proposal from Colorado Springs leadership, in a bid to keep the organization in its present home.
PRCA’s chief marketing officer, Paul Woody, told Cowboy State Daily in previous interviews that the organization hadn’t been looking to move at all, but that it had to consider the long-term health of the organization once an offer was received.
“This is a strategic decision that positions the PRCA for the future,” PRCA CEO Tom Glause said in a media statement. “Wyoming lives and breathes rodeo, and Cheyenne offers authenticity, visibility and alignment with our sport’s values.”
Woody told Cowboy State Daily Tuesday morning that the board had deliberated over two days on the bids it had received and focused on the best information and the best offer available to them.
A key point in that discussion was the “opportunities for visitorship, being at a cross section at two major interstates,” he said.
“And the investment that Wyoming has made in our sport speaks for itself,” he added. “When they’re investing in college rodeo and not just professional rodeo. It’s a testament to where rodeo ranks and the priorities of the state of Wyoming.”
What’s In The PRCA’s Vision
The transition, if it comes to fruition, would occur in early 2029, according to the PRCA statement. The proposed 35-acre campus would be located near both I-25 and I-80. PRCA is envisioning it as the “anchor of a new western-themed entertainment, cultural, and shopping district, creating a year-round destination for fans, families and visitors from around the world.”
The relocation is contingent on funding for the PRCA’s move, as well as securing an appropriate property for the move, Woody said.
Both of those things are already moving in parallel together.
Cheyenne’s economic development organization, Cheyenne LEADS has already committed $15 million for a move. The Wyoming legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee has also placed a $15 million line item in the state’s draft budget, at the request of Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.
Gordon praised the PRCA’s decision, which he said is significant for both the state’s economy and its cultural identity.
“Rodeo has been part of Wyoming since before we were a state,” Gordon said. “It’s in our DNA. I grew up roping a dummy at every PRCA rodeo, first my dad and then myself, competed in. There is no better place on Earth than right here in the Cowboy State for the PRCA to be headquartered.
“We have the legacy, respect the tradition and will always honor the cowboy way and code of the West. Powder River, Let’er Buck!”
Cheyenne LEADS CEO Betsy Hale said in a media statement the announcement reflects Wyoming’s legacy and its future.
“Rodeo is woven into the fabric of our state, and welcoming the PRCA, its headquarters, and the Hall of Fame to Cheyenne is a natural fit,” she said. “The Cheyenne LEADS Board strongly believes in this opportunity and voted to invest $15 million as a show of commitment. We look forward to partnering with the city of Cheyenne, Laramie County, along with the PRCA, and other stakeholders to bring this visionary campus to life.”
Holy Smokes!
Wyoming is a state where the bucking horse is part of every license plate. Rodeo is a big deal across the state, and the news that the PRCA is taking concrete steps to advance the conversation about moving to Wyoming is exciting to members of the rodeo community.
“Holy Smokes!” retired bullfighter Marc Gill told Cowboy State Daily. “Well, I think that’ll be good for both parties. It’s great for Cheyenne. It’s great for the PRCA. Wyoming is so steeped in western tradition and rodeo tradition. I mean, just look at our license plates. We’ve got rodeo specific ones.”
CFD President and CEO Tom Hirsig said he believes it’s an incredible opportunity for everyone involved to have the PRCA in a state where rodeo is so woven into the culture.
“It just solidifies the Cowboy State logo,” he said. “The sport of rodeo has always been the unofficially declared sport of Wyoming. And bringing in something like (the PRCA) is like bringing in the NFL headquarters to Texas.”
The opportunities it will create for the future will be good for both Wyoming and the PRCA over time, Gill added.
“It’s just going to increase the visibility,” he said. “Those are the two major crossroads in the U.S., along I-25 there. And it wasn’t bad to get to it before, but you’re mostly just depending on happenstance traffic, whereas, especially during the summer months and Wyoming’s tourism, people come from all over the U.S. They’re coming from the east, the West, the North, the South, and they’re going to have to go through that crossroads.”
It will also be another outlet for entertainment dollars spent during Cheyenne Frontier Days, Gill added.
“The families who come to that are looking for something family-friendly to do, once they’ve done the park experience,” he said. “But still maintain that Western feel and Western way of life.”
Even Cody’s Mike Darby, who had put in an 11th-hour bid to bring the PRCA to the only town in America that does nightly rodeo, was excited about the prospects. He told Cowboy State Daily he’s happy that the organization chose Wyoming, even if he’s disappointed the city wasn’t Cody.
“I think it’s a great thing, I really do,” he said. “it’s just a great addition to our state, being as we are the Cowboy State.”
Darby said Cody didn’t have the time to put together as solid a bid as Cheyenne had offered, but he’s nonetheless proud of his community’s showing.
“We did a great job for the time we had to work in,” he said. “I’m just so impressed with the way our various entities in our county came together to help put this bid together in short order.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
