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Cheyenne Frontier Days 2009, the premier 10-day celebration of the Western lifestyle that takes place each July, was once again a huge success.
The 113th Annual "Daddy of ‘em All" festival surpassed expectations on several fronts, officials said. Total attendance at Frontier Park was 191,754, the highest in 10 years, while the opening on Saturday, July 18, boasted the largest crowd on record for the first day with 13,308 fans at the rodeo.
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This year's concert series also set new records and provided fans with great entertainment.
The George Strait concert was the largest ever held in the state of Wyoming with 22,736 persons watching the Country Western superstar. Saturday's total number of participants in the celebration, including parade, carnival and other activities was estimated at more than 100,000 visitors. Thursday's Taylor Swift concert set a new record for a female artist at Cheyenne Frontier Days with 20,043 concert goers.
For rodeo fans, Cheyenne Frontier Days again delivered plenty of thrills and excitement.
The Behind the Chutes tours, which give fans a chance to get on the arena dirt and learn about the rodeo, were up by more than 1,000 visitors. This year, 5,348 took the tour which gives fans an up-close, in-depth look at the sport of rodeo. In 2008, there were 4,226 guests. New in 2009 was having rodeo contestants participate in many of the tours, answering questions and signing autographs.
This year's rodeo featured nearly 1,500 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women's Professional Rodeo Association competitors vying for championship buckles and saddles along with prize money. Money and prizes totaling $1,036,349 were awarded to contestants at the rodeo and the Professional Bull Riders event held in conjunction with it.
Throughout the competition, including slack and the rodeo, nearly 4,300 animals were used. Veterinarians treated a total of seven animals. Of those, four are being rehabilitated.
The Justin Sports Medicine Team treated an average of 40 contestants per day. Three contestants were transported to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center with no serious injuries.
The annual Pancake Breakfast, held downtown on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, saw the Cheyenne Kiwanis and Boy and Girl Scouts feeding 30,400 patrons. Nearly 50,000 persons toured the Indian Village with the largest group of 6,341 coming on Wednesday, July 22.
"We are excited about the success of this year's events," said Charlie West, general chairman of the Cheyenne Frontier Days. "There are so many people that have contributed - the volunteers, the rodeo contestants, all of our committee chairmen and of course the fans. It's a pleasant surprise to see these numbers in this economy. We put together ticket packages and tried to make it an affordable entertainment option for the whole family. I think it was a great show and hope everyone will be back next year."
About Cheyenne Frontier Days
Cheyenne Frontier Days is the oldest continuously running and largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the world. Known as the "Daddy of ‘em All" to rodeo cowboys, Cheyenne Frontier Days takes place in Cheyenne, Wyoming every year during the last full week in July.
This action-packed, one-of-a-kind event, rich in century-old traditions and old-fashioned hospitality, celebrates the Old West with a 10-day wingding of top-name entertainers, parades, free pancake breakfasts, cowboys, cowgirls, Native American Indians, broncs, bulls and wild horses.
