CHEYENNE – Cheyenne Frontier Days received the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year award for the sixteenth time at an award banquet last night in Las Vegas.

PRCA rodeo contract personnel, judges, clowns, stock contractors and contestants vote in October on the finalists for this award.  Award finalists then attend a banquet during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at which the award recipient is announced.

General Chairman Darin Westby extended his appreciation to the Cheyenne Frontier Days organization and the Cheyenne community upon receipt of the award.

“Congratulations to all of our volunteers, staff, contracted personnel, our fans, our community and everyone else who contributed to make CFD a great success. We could not produce our event without the cooperation and support of our incredibly dedicated volunteer force and community,” Westby said.

Cheyenne Frontier Days has previously received the PRCA Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year award in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) announced Nov. 21, that Wyoming Insurance Commissioner, Tom Hirsig, has accepted the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2015.  The CFD Board of Directors selected Hirsig after a national search following the announcement of Dan Cheney’s departure in August.

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead appointed Hirsig as the Wyoming state insurance commissioner in 2012.  Prior to that, he had a successful career in real estate management and land development, and was one of Wyoming’s top Allstate insurance agents for more than 20 years.

A Wyoming native, Hirsig grew up on his family’s cattle ranch north of Cheyenne.  He attended the University of Wyoming on a rodeo scholarship, where he qualified for the College National Finals three times, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business. A member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Hirsig is a three-time Mountain States PRCA Champion Steer Roper. He finished sixth in the world standings in 1987, and was the 1987 Pendleton Round-Up Steer Roping Champion. He won the CFD Steer Roping Championship in 2002.

“We are delighted to have Tom take the reins as our CEO,” Bill Hill, CFD Board Chairman said. “His combination of business experience, deep roots in rodeo and vision of how to help Cheyenne Frontier Days evolve and thrive in the years to come, gives us great confidence that he is the best person to see that our strategic plan for the future is realized.”

CFD General Chairman and interim CEO, Darin Westby, welcomed Hirsig’s appointment. “Tom has been a dedicated volunteer and leader in the CFD family and his experience and energy will continue to move us into the future.  I look forward to working with him.”

Westby will continue in his dual role until Hirsig assumes the CEO position on January 1.

Hirsig has a strong connection to Cheyenne Frontier Days. His great-great uncle was a co-founder of the event. Hirsig has served as CFD’s Contestants Chairman, spent 10 years as Arena Director and was also a member on the organization’s Board of Directors, where he served as Secretary-Treasurer and Vice Chairman.

“I am excited about the opportunity to work together with the Board of Directors, General Committee, staff and the 2,300 volunteers who make Cheyenne Frontier Days the world’s greatest western celebration,” Hirsig said. “Cheyenne Frontier Days represents something very special. We have some exciting ideas for CFD’s future, and I am looking forward to working with everyone on our team to implement that vision.”

In response to inquiries regarding how interested people can participate in Cheyenne Frontier Days, the CFD General Committee will host a first ever “Volunteer Fair” on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. at the Buckle Club. (The Buckle Club is located on the top floor of the Exhibit Hall, at the southwest corner of Frontier Park.  Entry off of Hynds Blvd.)

According to General Chairman Darin Westby, “There are a lot of people in our local community who have indicated the desire to participate in the production of our show. Others have said it is difficult to understand how volunteers are selected and some have felt as if we were operating a ‘closed shop.’  Nothing could be further from our intentions.”

Westby said the concept of the Volunteer Fair came from the annual General Committee retreat in September. “We analyze strengths and weaknesses, needs and opportunities in light of our market research, volunteer critiques and other factors. With the growth of our show and anticipated future growth we have a need for active volunteers.”

Westby said there are numerous areas on the park where additional volunteers are needed.  Those areas range from information delivery, hospitality, visitor safety, public relations, parades and other duties.

“The main thing we are looking for in a volunteer is someone willing to give of their time as long as they are having fun,” Westby said.  “We add volunteers every year but we have never made the process as open and transparent as it should be.  This will change how we develop future leadership for Cheyenne and Cheyenne Frontier Days.  We are really excited to go in a new direction with our volunteers.”

Information about Cheyenne Frontier Days, volunteering and a brief presentation about the functions of its ten volunteer committees will be presented. This information will be followed by a “speed dating” format exchange where attendees can meet with and talk to representatives of each of the ten committees to visit and ask questions.  Applications from those interested in becoming a CFD volunteer will be taken that evening. Potential volunteers are encouraged to bring a friend.

Country music superstars Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban are the first additions to the 2015 Frontier Nights concert series.  These performances were announced from the CFD stage by General Chairman Darin Westby and Contract Acts Chairman Larry Kehl at the Tim McGraw concert, which closed out the 2014 Frontier Nights performances on July 26.  The concert dates and the ticket on-sale date for these performances are still to be determined.  Cheyenne Frontier Days usually starts ticket sales for the following year in late November or early December – check back for more information later this fall!

Miranda Lambert

Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert is the reigning four-time CMA and reigning five-time ACM Female Vocalist of the Year. Her last album, Four The Record, made history when it debuted atop Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, making Miranda the first country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of her first four albums debut at # 1. All four of those albums have also been certified Platinum.

Miranda’s highly-anticipated fifth album, Platinum, debuted at the top of the all genre Billboard 200 as the #1 album in the nation.  Her lead single “Automatic,” written by Miranda, Nicolle Galyon and Natalie Hemby, is an autobiographical song that reflects on the days of pay phones, learning to drive a stick shift, driving to Dallas to buy an Easter dress, recording the country countdown on her cassette recorder and more.   Miranda’s current single, “Somethin’ Bad” is a duet with Carrie Underwood that is racing up the charts.

Keith Urban

In September 2013 Urban released his seventh studio album FUSE. His fourth #1 album marked the first time that a male Country artist has debuted atop the all-genre charts in the United States, Canada and Australia. The album’s first single, “Little Bit of Everything” took the top spot on the Country Singles Chart, as did “We Were Us”, featuring Miranda Lambert, which gave Urban a streak of five consecutive #1 songs (dating back to 2011’s “Without You”).

In 2001, the Country Music Association honored Urban with its Horizon Award, designating him a talented artist with a bright future. He was the first Horizon Award winner in history to go on to win the CMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year, a title he’s captured three times, and the coveted Entertainer of the Year. Since then Urban’s career has seen a long list of groundbreaking firsts and accomplishments reserved for the music industry’s elite.

He was the first Country artist to be named an American Idol judge, a role he will reprise for the show in its 14^th season, and is a four-time GRAMMY® Award winner who has also won a People’s Choice, American Music Award and been nominated for a Golden Globe. He’s won eleven Academy of Country Music Awards and has had 16 #1 songs and five consecutive platinum or multi-platinum albums. In 2012 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

His reputation as a premier songwriter, vocalist, musician and virtuoso guitarist has afforded Urban the opportunity to collaborate with the likes of The Rolling Stones, John Mayer, Steven Tyler, John Fogerty, Alicia Keys, Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift, Vince Gill, Eric Church and countless others.  He was asked to perform on both nights of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival and earlier this year on CBS’ “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles.”

I relocated to Cheyenne from Upstate New York in late June 2013, excited to take part in all the summer festivals and celebrations the community has to offer. Since we didn’t really know anyone, our family was thrilled to learn about Cheyenne’s Fourth of July celebration. We headed over to Frontier Park in time to take in the live entertainment prior to the fireworks show. My daughter, then five, enjoyed playing with other little girls in the stands and snacking on some of the goodies offered by the various food vendors. As the skies grew darker, we all waited in anticipation for the fireworks to begin.

I grew up in Southern California–and even worked for Disney–so I’ve seen some pretty phenomenal fireworks shows. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by what this production had to offer. My husband, daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Today, as a volunteer for the Fourth of July celebration, I can tell you that there are approximately 2,000 fireworks in the show, which lasts 15-20 minutes. That’s pretty awesome for a show that is free to attend and includes live entertainment AND free parking!

This year’s headline act is Tops in Blue, the Air Force’s elite entertainment unit. This diverse group of performers includes musicians, singers, dancers, comedians, magicians and more. As I’ve been around the community to talk about the Fourth of July, those who have seen Tops in Blue perform in the past assure me we’re in for a real treat. The enthusiasm from others has got me really excited.

Fourth of July is among my favorite holidays and now that I live in a military town, I feel an even greater sense of patriotism at this time of year. I’ll be celebrating our nation’s independence at Frontier Park and hope you’ll join me in welcoming Tops in Blue back to Cheyenne.

5:30 Park opens

6:00 Country Club Band

7:30 Introductions

8:00 Tops in Blue

9:35 Fireworks

-Lorrell Walter

Who’s ready for some great music this July? Our friends Lady Antebellum helped us announce our 2014 final lineup… Let’s just say it’s going to be a great summer!

Watch the video for yourself!

July 18: John Mellencamp with special guest Carlene Carter

July 19: Lady Antebellum with special guest Clay Walker

July 20: Gary Allan with special guest Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band

July 23: Florida Georgia Line with special guest Colt Ford

July 24: Brad Paisley with special guests Randy Houser and Leah Turner

July 25: Kid Rock with special guest Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

July 26: Tim McGraw with special guests Kip Moore and Cassadee Pope

Tickets on sale now. Visit CFDRodeo.com for more details! #CheyenneFrontierDays ticket winner was notified February 28, 2014. See you this summer!