New Committee Chairs Named for 130th Celebration

The leadership of Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) has named new General Committee members for the 2026 celebration.

The Board of Directors has selected Hans Ritschard to be the next General Chairman. Ritschard is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who now directs improvement work at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. He served as Military Chairman from 2014 to 2016 and was a member of the CFD Board of Directors from 2018 to 2024, including two years as board chairman.

Jenny Lakin has been selected as the new Concessions Chairman. Lakin is a manager in provider relations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming. She has volunteered on the Concessions Committee for 17 years. Lakin was named Concessions Committee Volunteer of the Year in 2014 and was inducted into the HEELS in 2021.

Richard “Bull” Singhas has been selected as the new Parades Chairman. Singhas is a construction manager for the U.S. Air Force and holds a master’s degree in management. He has volunteered on the CFD Parades Committee for 21 years and was named Volunteer of the Year in 2014. Singhas was inducted into the HEELS in 2018.

Jimbo Tanner has been selected as the new Rodeo Chairman. Tanner is the general manager at B&W Glass Inc. He has volunteered on the Rodeo Committee since 2003, was named Rodeo Committee Volunteer of the Year in 2014 and was inducted into the HEELS in 2016.

“It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve Cheyenne Frontier Days as the next General Chairman,” General Chairman Hans Ritschard said. “It is also humbling to succeed those leaders who have built such a strong foundation. St. Bernard of Chartres compared us to dwarves perched on the shoulders of giants. He said that though we might see more and farther than our predecessors, it is not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted and held up by their giant size. I would like to thank outgoing General Chairman John Contos, along with Chairmen Woody Acord, Jason Bain, Byron Matthews, and Jim VanCise for their longstanding dedication and commitment to our organization.”

The General Committee has already begun planning for the 130th Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2026 — the Year of the American Indian — which will feature the grand opening of the Morning Star American Indian Village and the reconstruction of Chute 9.