|
To Cover Page
|
Volunteers give rodeo arena a new booth by David Trigueiro There will be more bucking at next summer’s rodeos at Fred Hust Arena, thanks to a new announcers’ booth, chutes and release gate installed this week by members of the Rancher’s Rodeo Board. The new booth will sit some 12 feet above the ground on a steel platform designed to hold shipping containers unloaded from freighters shipyards. On Monday morning, five board members moved the platform into place on top of four concrete pilings poured earlier. Rick McDaniel operated the hydraulic excavator that moved the platform into place above the chutes on the north side of the arena. His father, Jack McDaniel, and the family’s local construction business, donated the service. Roger Wright, his wife Elisa, and Ron Johnson were there to guide the platform into place and secure it to the concrete pilings. Wright, a retired carpenter, will super-vise building the new announcers’ booth on top of the platform. One of the two chutes where the bull and bronco riders mount up on the arena's north side will be removed. This will accommodate a new release gate directly under the new announcers' platform. The animals leave the arena through this gate. This is expected to significantly increase the entertainment, Wright said. In the past, animals tended to run around looking for the release gate before attempting to buck the rider off. With the gate beside the chutes, the bulls and broncos will begin bucking furiously as soon as they are out the gate, he said. Wright said he was amazed at the number of people who have volunteered to come out and help with the reconstruction. Although the actual numbers were just five or six, they pitched in and did all the work required. “Of course, most people have jobs and that could have some bearing on whet-her they’re able to get here or not,” he chuckled. Unable to be there on Monday was Bruce Way, a local rancher and real estate developer who has worked pouring the pilings and on other jobs. Wright said he believes the rodeo board acquired the steel platform four or five years ago. He did not know who found it or how it got to Weiser. --WEISER SIGNAL AMERICAN
|