PECOS, Texas – There is a new look to the “World’s First Rodeo.”

While history is certainly on the side of the West of the Pecos Rodeo, Reeves County officials have made some important upgrades to Buck Jackson Arena. Everything is ready in time for this year’s event, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 24-Saturday, June 27.

“We had a lot of stuff done to that arena,” said Clay Ryon McKinney, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual rodeo. “Everything from the bucking chutes and roping boxes back to the front entrance was completely torn out and rebuilt.

“We’ve got brand new bucking chutes with a center return gate so that we can have left- and right-handed deliveries. We’ve got new roughstock holding pens, arrow sorting pens, and Priefert-designed bucking chutes and roping boxes.”

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“Of course, we’ve got new VIP boxes above the bucking chutes,” he said. “I was told it will hold over 300 people – I think our old one seated about 65, so that’s a big jump. It will have its own bar, and there will be restrooms up there.

“With that, we’ve got a brand-new press box that’s state of the art. It will have central AC and heat. I will be nice for the people that work up there, like our music director and video crews that have equipment that works best in a more temperature-controlled environment.”

While the rodeo is the beneficiary, Reeves County has handled most of the work. There have been some tweaks involved over the last few months, some of which were aided during a dry run in April, when Sul Ross State University conducted its spring college rodeo in Buck Jackson Arena.

“It was a real blessing to be able to work out a few kinks and get rid of the gremlins that popped up before our big ProRodeo,” McKinney said. “I think the college rodeo ran outstanding. We had a great three-day rodeo and got lots of compliments on the upgrades.”

The changes, though, meant demolition for the main building that has served as an announcer’s stand and temporary training room. That cleared the way for something better in its place.

“It was a little sad to see some of that stuff torn down, but the way this rodeo growing and the plans we have for it in the future, everything’s moving more that way,” McKinney said. “We’re keeping up with the times, and it’s really going to be nice to have an updated, state-of-the-art facility. In that building, there is a cowboy locker room and sports medicine room that’s completely air-conditioned and heated and has showers, bathrooms and everything else.

“Aesthetically, it just fits the arena now with all the upgrades on the new grandstands. We’ll have new equipment that will make things smoother and will benefit our rodeo as a whole.”