Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Local promoter Brent Romick is hoping 10 stock contractors, 63 hard-bucking bulls and several upcoming stars on the Professional Bull Riders tour will pack the house this Labor Day weekend.

"I think this event is going to be good for the future of Steamboat," Romick said of the PBR event scheduled for Sept. 1 at the Brent Romick Rodeo Arena.

The Steamboat Springs Rockin' Roundup Professional Bull Riding Classic is scheduled to follow a free concert at Howelsen Hill by the Marshall Tucker Band. Romick is hoping the concertgoers will follow the music to the rodeo grounds, where the PBR will provide its own version of Rock 'n' Roll.

"We are very excited about having the bull riding come back," said Sandy Evans-Hall, executive vice president of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association. "It should be a great evening event."

The bull riding only is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($20 at the door) for general admission or $25 for reserved seats ($30 at the door). General admission is limited to the concrete grandstands or standing-room-only sections.

Advance tickets are available at the Chamber Resort Association, F.M. Light & Sons and Soda Creek Western Mercantile. Tickets can also be purchased at Corral West Ranch Wear in Craig.

"We will have 40 of the top 60 bull riders in the world in town for this event," Romick said.

In fact, spectators will get to watch as 45 riders attempt to score enough points to make it to the short go around. There the riders will be vying for $10,000 in added money. Romick said that means the winner of this year's PBR in Steamboat could take home a check for $6,000.

Romick said riders on the PBR's challenge tour will fill 40 of the spots and the other five positions will go to young riders who are trying to fill their permits in the organization.

The PBR runs two series, including the Bud Light Cup, which is televised and draws the most elite riders in the country. There is also the Challenger Cup, which is not televised and normally draws riders who are trying to earn enough points to ride in the Bud Light events. However, it is common for riders who have qualified for the more elite series to attend Challenger events to earn a little extra cash. Romick expects to see more than a few of those riders in Steamboat Springs over Labor Day.

This is the third time Romick has promoted a Labor Day bull riding event in Steamboat. The first two were successful daytime performances in 1999 and 2000. The event was not held last year because Romick didn't want to compete with West Fest.

"We wanted to sit back and see what was going to happen with West Fest," Romick said. "We always planned on bringing this event back, and it just seemed to fit in the evening."

It wasn't a problem, Romick said. The bulls like the cool fall evenings in September and tend to buck a little better under the lights.

"There is less stress on the animals, which makes for a better performance," Romick said.

He also said he thinks the bull riding event combined with the Marshall Tucker Band, which is set to start playing at 3:30 p.m., will make for a nice afternoon outing for visitors looking for something to do over Labor Day weekend.

"The bull riding combined with the concert should make for a really fun weekend," Evans Hall said.

To reach John F. Russell call 871-4209

or e-mail jrussell@steamboatpilot.com