Uncategorized Archives - Cheyenne Frontier Days

After the pandemic forced its cancellation, CFD worked on lending a hand

As Cheyenne Frontier Days looks ahead to celebrating its 125^th anniversary in July, the organization released its 2020 Report to the Community, which looks back at how CFD’s volunteers and staff turned their focus toward supporting the community after the coronavirus pandemic forced the historic cancellation of the iconic western festival in 2020.

“We were all pretty deflated after the cancellation, but we decided to look at it as an opportunity to use the downtime to do what we could to help our community,” said Tom Hirsig, Cheyenne Frontier Days CEO.

The report recaps how CFD donated its facilities and volunteer manpower to help a variety of community organizations in Wyoming.

“We are grateful for the chance to give something back to the community,” continued Hirsig. “It was important for our staff, volunteers and sponsors that we made good use of our time and facilities during the summer instead of letting them sit idle.”

The General Committee spent some time on what would’ve been the final Saturday of Cheyenne Frontier Days™ visiting downtown businesses and thanking them for making Cheyenne Legendary

The General Committee spent some time visiting downtown businesses and thanking them for making Cheyenne Legendary
The General Committee spent some time visiting downtown businesses and thanking them for making Cheyenne Legendary
The General Committee spent some time visiting downtown businesses and thanking them for making Cheyenne Legendary
The General Committee spent some time visiting downtown businesses and thanking them for making Cheyenne Legendary
The General Committee spent some time visiting downtown businesses and thanking them for making Cheyenne Legendary
The General Committee spent some time visiting downtown businesses and thanking them for making Cheyenne Legendary

On National Day of the Cowboy we always honor the cowboys, cowgirls and all the great Cheyenne Frontier Days Volunteers who have passed on; and in their memory please join us for the Cowboy Prayer

Applications are now being accepted for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Youth Volunteer Program. Applications will be accepted until March 10, 2020.

Youth Volunteer Application

Completed applications due by March 10:

Cheyenne Frontier Days Headquarters
Youth Volunteer Director | George Geyer
PO Box 2477
Cheyenne, WY 82003

The program is open to youth between the ages of 13 -18. Applicants must be at least 13 years of age by July 1, 2020.

Volunteers will participate in scheduled Saturday work days and a workshop guided by mentors from each CFD Committee with the intention of finding a committee that best fits the goals of each volunteer once they meet the age requirements of the chosen committee.

Attendance and hours worked will be recorded. A volunteer dress code will require a cowboy hat, a long sleeve shirt, blue denim jeans and boots to be worn. Those who are selected will receive a picture badge, and a ten day carnival armband will be awarded to youth volunteers who attend three or more scheduled Saturday work days.

The number of youth volunteers may be limited depending on the number of applications received. An in-person interview will be scheduled for each applicant sometime in April, at a date, time and place to be determined. More information will be provided to the applicants via email at a later date.

Thank you, for your interest and feel free to contact me at youth.director@cfdrodeo.com with any questions regarding the program.

Cheyenne Frontier Days Tickets go ON SALE this week!

We recommend creating or updating your MyTickets Account prior to pre-sale or on sale for a smooth, online experience.

We recommend buying tickets from official sources like our website, Tickets.com or the Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Ticket Office. This way if an event is canceled, postponed or you need to make changes, you have options.

If you purchase tickets on unofficial sites, or for more than $18-$35 for Rodeo, $49-$94 for Concert, or $25-$105 for PBR; you’re taking a BIG RISK! If the tickets turn out to be fake, you will have NO WAY to get your money back.

DOWNLOAD OUR MOBILE TICKET GUIDE

We recommend creating or updating your My Tickets Account prior to pre-sale or on sale for a smooth, online experience.

2018 CFD Champions who will be defending their titles today include bareback rider Will Lowe, bull rider Ruger Piva, saddle bronc rider Brody Cress, team ropers Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison and barrel racer Nellie Miller.
Today’s field also includes 11 former CFD champions: four more in bareback riding – Richmond Champion (2014), Tanner Aus (2015), Orin Larsen (2016); two in saddle bronc – Wade Sundell (2013) and Jacobs Crawley (2016); team roper Cesar de la Cruz (2010); senior steer roper Dan Fisher ( 2013); three barrel racers – Brittany Pozzi-Tonnozzi (2007), Lisa Lockhart (2015) and Stevi Hillman (2017); and all-around cowboy Trell Etbauer (2014).
Will Lowe could win CFD for the fourth time in bareback riding, a feat no other cowboy has managed since bareback riding began here in 1936. He won here in 2009, 2012 and 2018.
Local favorite Brody Cress could also set a CFD record should he win the saddle bronc riding championship for the third consecutive year. Since saddle bronc riding began here in 1897, no one has won the title three times in a row. Cress still would trail Earl Thode, who won the event four times between 1927 and 1934.
Chad Masters has a chance for his own CFD records. If he and Harrison win first, they would be the first back-to-back champs here in team roping. Masters would become the first team roper to win this rodeo three times since the team roping was first offered in 2000.
Three sets of Texan siblings will compete against each other today. Rylea and Jordan Jo Fabrizio in breakaway roping; Jacobs and Sterling Crawley in saddle bronc riding and Vin Fisher, Jr., and J. Tom Fisher in steer roping. The Fishers will also be competing against their father, Dan Fisher, meaning that one-fourth of the steer roping field are members of the Fisher family.
The husband-wife duo of Garrett Tonnozzi (team roping) and Brittany Pozzi-Tonnozzi (barrel racing) will be aiming to take home a pair of CFD titles today.
While breakaway roper KL Spratt may be listed from Arizona on the daysheet, she grew up in Lysite, Wyoming. That means every event today will have at least one Wyoming connection.
Two college rodeo coaches will compete today. Linsay Sumpter in breakaway roping is the head coach for both men and women at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado. Beau Clark, former head coach for Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, now is the head coach at the University of Wyoming.
Two people named Cheyenne will be trying to win a championship at Frontier Park today – tie-down roper Cheyenne Stanley from Oklahoma and barrel racer Cheyenne Wimberly from Texas. Wimberly last competed here in 1999.
Two men named Stetson will be aiming for CFD titles today. Stetson Vest competes in tie-down roping. Stetson Wright is the only cowboy we will see twice today as he qualified for Championship Sunday in both saddle bronc riding and bull riding and is a favorite to win the all-around title.

Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding

Four of this year’s top bareback riders will be hoping to advance to the semifinals today. The one highest in the world standings is Ty Breuer, who is 6th. The four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) cowboy is having the best season of his career and is the proud father of a new baby boy born less than two months ago. This is he and his wife Kelly’s second child.

Last year’s reserve champion and perennial all-around hand Steven Dent is matched up with Dakota Rodeo’s Chirrikawa, a horse that is equally strong whether bucking in the bareback or the saddle bronc riding. Dent is traveling with former CFD champion Tanner Aus. The fourth of the group is Jake Brown (13th).

Craig Wisehart has an usual upcoming itinerary. After he competes tomorrow, he will head a few miles south to Colorado’s Weld County Fair for the goat show later that afternoon. When he was younger, not only did he show goats in 4-H and FFA, he started a hoof trimming business that brought the enterprising youth some spending money to rodeo with.

Taygen Schuelke is a former college all-around champion who is trying to make his mark here in the saddle bronc riding. He is joined this year by his younger brother Lane Schuelke who competes today in the rookie saddle bronc riding.

Californian Tim Ditrich spent his whole life around horses, but never considered saddle bronc riding until he was in college. He saw photos of his rodeo coach and mentor, Ben Londo, riding broncs and decided to try the event. Londo loaned him a saddle and equipment and helped him learn the event.

A pair of former world champions – Jesse Wright and Jesse Kruse – are in today’s field along with former CFD champion Bradley Harter.

Two of the winningest bull riders in PRCA history will be making a bid for their first CFD championship starting today. Neither J.W. Harris, who has four world championships, nor Sage Kimzey, who has won five, have won a CFD buckle in their careers. Sage, who’s currently leading the world standings, is here along with his younger brother Trey Kimzey who is ranked 11th.

Tyler Bingham (ranked 6th) and Joe Frost are hoping to join their brothers Tim and Josh, who have already qualified for CFD’s semifinals. Another NFR bull rider in today’s field is Garrett Smith, who is ranked 10th this season.

Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing

Kyle Whitaker will highlight today’s steer wrestlers. Whitaker is a nine-time winner of professional rodeo’s ironman award – the Bill Linderman Award which is awarded to the cowboy who earns the most money in at least three rodeo events in a season. To be eligible a cowboy must win at least $1,000 in a timed event and a rough stock event, plus another $1,000 in a third event. Dean Finnerty of Wheatland, Wyoming, will be competing his either his 31st or 32nd consecutive CFD in steer wrestling.

Syerra “CY” Christensen of Kennebec, S.D., is the new CFD arena record holder in breakaway roping after winning the first qualifying round last week with 4.01 seconds. She is a four-time survivor of childhood cancer with a great perspective on life and rodeo. Linsay Sumpter, the college rodeo coach at Otero Junior College in Colorado, is a member of the famous Rosser rodeo family of California and her husband Wade is a former NFR steer wrestler. To put in perspective what it means for the breakaway ropers to compete here, her parents who are part of the Flying U Rodeo legacy caught a plane to Cheyenne to watch her compete in the preliminary rounds.

Sterling Smith of Stephenville, Texas, holds the arena record of 9.4 seconds in tie-down roping that he set last year and is looking for more success at Frontier Park. Marcos Costa, the former world champion, is back in action after sitting out for several months following knee surgery. This rodeo has been good for Costa in the past and he’s hoping that trend continues.

Team ropers Kaleb Driggers (seven NFRs) and Junior Nogueira (five) finished as runners-up for the world championships the past two years. Both are looking for their first individual event world championship. (Junior won the All-Around title in 2016.) Also, in today’s field is former world champion header Levi Simpson from Canada who is as famous for his beard as he is for his roping.

Nellie Miller, who won the CFD championship last year with a great barrel racing run in a hailstorm, is back to defend her championship. She won the preliminary round and already has won more than $8,000 in Cheyenne this year. Miller, the 2017 world champion, has been locked in a battle for the world standings lead all season with 2018 champion Hailey Kinsel.

Tennessee cowgirl Jessi Fish tied for second in the preliminary round and is primed for more success in Frontier Park. Cheyenne Wimberley retired from fulltime rodeo after back-to-back trips to the NFR in 1997-98, but could return to Las Vegas with a strong finish to the season. She’s currently ranked 19 and success at this rodeo could give a big boost to her season.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (July 23, 2019) – Shad Mayfield might be the busiest 18-year-old at this year’s Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo.

The tie-down roper competed here in the qualifying rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 16 and 17. He roped his first calf here in 12.4 seconds, then won the second round with a time of 9.5 seconds, just a tic over the arena record of 9.4 seconds set last year. He roped again here on July 22 and 23 and was once again successful with times of 12.6 and 11.6, placing in the top four both days. So far, he has won $6,666 here and has an opportunity to win more.

Amongst his runs here in Frontier Park, he was also taking advantage of his final qualification for the National High School Finals Rodeo held in Rock Springs, Wyoming, July 14 – 20. He roped three calves there faster than anyone else in the field and left with the national championship. He also competed at the California Rodeo Salinas and finished fourth overall.

“It’s been unbelievable,” Mayfield said of the last week. “I’ve never had any luck at the high school finals. To win it and do well at these other rodeos is a huge blessing.”

A year ago, he got to be a spectator at Cheyenne when they stopped on their way back to their home in Clovis, N.M. after the high school finals. This year, he did far more than spectate. Prior to the 123^rd “Daddy of ‘em All,” he was 24^th in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Standings. He is about $7,000 outside of the top 15 and, if he gets a good check here in the Championship Finals, he could very well move up and put himself in position to qualify for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Mayfield’s success here has come on a horse that is just two years younger than he is. Django has been great in this big arena and has worked well over the 30-foot head start that the cattle get. Not long after roping here, they were headed to Deadwood, South Dakota, for another rodeo, then will be coming back to Cheyenne to rope again.

It has been a family effort for the Mayfields. Shad’s dad, Sylvester, a former NFR qualifier in the tie-down roping, has been coaching him and traveling with him. His mom Joellen has been keeping things together at home. And, while his older sister Shelby isn’t directly involved, she is very supportive.

“I couldn’t do any of this without my family,” Shad said. “Everybody plays a part and I just hope that we all can keep it rolling.”

A new set of contestants will make their way to Cheyenne to compete at the fifth performance on Wednesday beginning at 12:45 p.m.

Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.

Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.
Cheyenne Frontier Days™ drove nearly 550 head of Corriente steers from the pasture north of Cheyenne along I-25, and through the city streets into Frontier Park on Sunday, July 14.

The Cheyenne Frontier Days Coronation Ball was held Saturday, July 13 at the Red Lion in Cheyenne
The Cheyenne Frontier Days Coronation Ball was held Saturday, July 13 at the Red Lion in Cheyenne