JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Town Council approved the 2022 summer Rodeo schedule during the Monday evening regular meeting following a debate about the Aug. 3 rodeo date.
Teton County Fair and Fairgrounds manager Rachel Grimes requested that the Aug. 3 rodeo date be rescheduled to either Friday, June 24 or Friday, Sept. 2 to provide more time for clean-up following the Teton County Fair. The 2022 fair will be held from July 23 through July 31.
Grimes spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. She said, “I would hope that you would trust that I am making this request out of necessity. This year we ran into several issues with that turnaround time.” Grimes cited weather conditions and complications with raking and preparing the grounds for the rodeo.
Phil Wilson, owner of WW Productions, the company that puts on the Jackson Hole Rodeo, also spoke during the meeting, sharing his desire to keep the Aug. 3 date. “I lost enough money last year [2020], I don’t want to lose more money intentionally,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, what like to say is just take a couple of my cowboys and let’s just get’er done and work together to keep the rodeo the way it is.”
The Town of Jackson staff agreed with this get’er done attitude and recommended that The Council approve the dates as presented. The motion carried 4-1 with Councilmember Jessica Sell Chambers opposed. Sell Chambers expressed that it is the Teton County Fairgrounds not the Rodeo grounds and requests from the fairgrounds should supersede other events held there.
The Town of Jackson leases the Fairgrounds from Teton County. WW Productions was recently granted another five-year concessionaire agreement with the Town.
Pursuant to the Rodeo Grounds Management Agreement between the Town and the County, the Town passes through a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $60,000 (at no time exceeding the amount received from the Concessionaire) to Teton County for management of the grounds.
According to the staff report, JH Rodeo provided payment to the Town in the amount of $285,901.62 for the 2021 rodeo season which is 10% of gross proceeds. The past several years the amount has been, $75,415.45 in 2020, $145,348.27 in 2019, $129,036.68 in 2018, and $123,960.68 in 2017.
