The Show Must Go On...

It has been since 2019 that we had a Rodeo at Henderson's Arena.  The Corona-19 Pandemic put a damper on some of our activies.  Thankfully, The Revenge Rodeo Company reached out to us last fall about doing an event.  We felt it had been long enough and we were ready to Rodeo again!

As in years past, tickets had been pre-sold for the event. Like many things that has changed after Covid, they sold them online.  After all, physical contact was frowned upon.  As the event was approaching the Rodeo Co reached out to me and informed us that tickets were selling very quickly. I made a quick FB with this information and within two days the event SOLD OUT for Both Nights! 

Wait...what???  YES!  This has never happened before.  We would always pre-sell some tickets and then offer them at the gate.  It was at this time we approached new territory with the Rodeo.  It was going to be a learning curve from here on out. 

Friday night. 

It was amazing view as the cars rolled down Van Fossan road.  One after another pulled in and filled our parking lots.  Seats filled up and standing room only was left.  This was also a first in all of the years of our facility.  The music cranked the show got on its way.  It is up to the "funny man" to keep the crowd engaged and that he did.  He even blew the doors off the out house.  Riders traveled from several states and rode the livestock in hopes to earn a paycheck for the night.  

Midnight Madness. 

When the last bull bucked we opened the doors to the store and had a store wide sale.  The spectators flooded through the doors and shopped for hours.  

Saturday.  

The next morning the guys got together and added more seating in the arena. They reconfigured the arena to hold additional bleachers in the top.  This was a learning curve for the Rodeo Co and ourselves to better accommodate the sold out shows.  As the day went on, the livestock rested and everyone geared up for the night show.  Then...just like that all the lights went out.

Gates open at 5:30 and the cars roll in one after another.  As the parking lots fill up so does the darkened arena.  AEP has so many outages they informed us that we would not have electric at all for the night.  The Rodeo guys went into back up plan over drive.  They knew these people drove a good distance to see a show...and they were going to make that happen!  In conjunction with our Sherriff department and Sunbelt Rentals they managed to get lights with generators to light up our arena.   Around 6:45 pm they rolled in and started them up!  

At 7:00 pm the show started seamlessly.  

The funny man was funny.  The riders rode the stock.  The concessions were still open.  As I looked in the crowd and saw kids up dancing in the stands and waving their hats in excitement.  It was a true miracle.  

Most would have gave up and just refunded money for such a dire situation.  But Not the hard core Cowboys in the world of Rodeo. They were GOING to make it happen and not disappoint thousands of spectators and the contestants.   

I'm calling it the Jackson Pro Rodeo Blackout Event.  There will never be another like it.  Hats off to Revenge Rodeo Co for pulling the impossible off.