Patrons taking Rooftop Rodeo’s “Behind The Chutes” tour learn the details it takes to produce an event of this magnitude. The tours have been part of Rooftop Rodeo for two decades and are a big part of the experience for visitors.
(PHOTO BY MARIE GRIFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY)

 

Rooftop spectators learn more about the sport behind the chutes

ESTES PARK, Colo. – The Wizard of Oz never wanted anyone to see the magic behind the mirror, but rodeo experts in Estes Park think the behind-the-scenes work is fascinating.

About 20 years ago, volunteers began their “Behind The Chutes” tours to give spectators a sneak peak about what it takes to produce the award-winning Rooftop Rodeo, set for 7 p.m. Monday, July 6-Saturday, July 11, at Granny May Arena inside the Estes Park Fairgrounds.

“We have a tour every night before the performance,” said Ben Vigil, the tour guide. “We start about 5 (p.m.) and try to get out of there by 6:15 so the tractor can do its thing. We just try to inform the people about animal safety and the safety equipment for the bullfighters and the roughstock guys.

“We also talk about how the animals are bred to do what they do and how well they’re taken care of out on Cervi’s ranch or wherever they come from. We try to dispel some of the myths that some people have about the care we give these animals.”

It’s a great opportunity for many to gain a better understanding of the Western way of life. After paying admission to the rodeo, tickets for the tour are $10 and can be found at https://RooftopRodeo.com.

“This was started in about 2005,” said Vigil, who began volunteering for the rodeo in 2002. “Howell Wright’s wife, J’Ann, came up with the idea to start it, and she did it for a couple of years, I think, and then Joy Barnett took it over and raised it up to where it is now.

“I’m just trying to keep it at that level she brought it up to. It’s a really inexpensive way for people to learn a lot more about it, and I think they really enjoy getting back there.”

Patrons get to walk into the arena and feel the dirt at their feet. They learn about the timed events and the care and preparation it takes to prepare horses for competition.

“We go into exactly what the contestants are doing in each of their events,” Vigil said. “Brett Dennis explains the timed events, and we have some fun there, too, We will have some kids go into the timed-event release gate; we’ll have a kid back into the box and let the kid out of the gate, and the other one chases them down.

“They get up real close to the bulls and horses in the pens. We’ll get them up on the dancefloor (the bucking chutes’ platform) so they can get a bird’s-eye view of what the contestants are going to see. We also have a bullfighter or somebody like (rodeo clown) Justin Rumford behind the chutes to talk about what they do.”

The tours seem to be a catalyst for interest. As the decades roll, more and more people are further removed from Western heritage and agriculture-based living. Volunteers and professionals offer their insights about how rodeo is not only a form of entertainment but is also a world-class competition.

“I’d say most of our fan base are people who are visiting Estes Park for that week, and this is the first time a lot of them have ever experienced a rodeo,” Vigil said. “A lot don’t know what rodeo is, and I think they really enjoy getting to be back there and putting their hands on the chutes and being within a few feet of the animals.”

It’s another opportunity Rooftop Rodeo has made for people to gain a better understanding of the Old West and how it continues to thrive through rodeo.

 

Gates for Rooftop Rodeo open at 5 p.m. Monday, July 6-Saturday, July 11, with the preshow beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. For more information about Rooftop Rodeo, which is a Town of Estes Park signature event, or to order tickets online, log on to www.RooftopRodeo.com. Other ticket inquiries may be made by contacting the Town of Estes Park Events office at events@estes.org or (970) 586-6104.