How a Father’s Day rodeo became Grover’s pride and joy
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GROVER, Colo. — Every Father’s Day weekend, hundreds of rodeo fans pour into Grover, Colorado, population 179, for the Earl Anderson Memorial Rodeo.
Unlike other professional rodeos that have ballooned in size and money — like Cheyenne Frontier Days or the National Western Stock Show that feature performances from country music stars like Luke Bryan and stretch over multiple weeks — the rodeo in Grover looks much the way it did 102 years ago when the town’s ranchers first hosted the show. Earl Anderson, a stock contractor, took over the event in 1929 and helped to provide prize money for contestants.
It’s a chance to get away from the “hassle-passel” of town, said Roger Viefhaus, 79, who has attended the rodeo for the past 70 years.
Cowboys and spectators still camp beside the arena. Tickets cost $15, and all are welcome to attend the evening dance or pancake breakfast.
Judy Gallatin, 69, grew up in Grover but now lives in Greeley. She comes back every year for the rodeo.
“You sit out in the sun, you get a little dirty, and you drink a beer or two. It's just a good time,” said Gallatin.
Today, just two of her 13 high school classmates still live in town. Both work in agriculture.
“You can’t make a living here as a woman,” said Gallatin.
Despite soaring tourism in Colorado, the state’s Eastern Plains often struggle to draw visitors.
“Everybody goes towards the mountains. It’s a little harder for us here,” said Candace Payne, executive director of the East Central Council of Governments.
Even with consistent traffic on Interstate 70, Payne said few travelers stop longer than to fill their tanks.
“They want to hurry up and get to wherever it is they’re going,” said Payne.
Many of the region’s museums, such as the Fort Sedgwick museum in Julesburg, Colorado, are only open part-time.
At Grover’s lone restaurant, the Market Basket — which doubles as a general store — cooks flipped cheeseburgers on a flat top at lunch time. Shelly Martinez ran the cash register.
Business doubles during rodeo weekend, said Martinez, who has worked at the Market Basket for 26 years. She commutes 22 miles from Briggsdale, Colorado.
Most customers come to buy pop, candy bars and chips, said Martinez.
Events like the Earl Anderson Memorial Rodeo help to draw visitors, but Payne said that communities in the Eastern Plains should focus on generating consistent crowds.
“One weekend doesn’t do much,” she said.
According to data from the U.S. Census, Grover gained 14 residents from 2022 to 2023.
Brian Kughman, 42, is one of them. He works in Greeley as a screen printer, but moved to Grover a year and a half ago because houses were more affordable.
“There's not a lot of affordable options in the Front Range,” said Kughman. “We've got what we need. It's good people here.”
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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