04/12/19
HAYS, Kan. – Bronc Rumford has become a pro at improvising over the years.

So the Fort Hays State University rodeo coach didn’t give it a second thought when he realized that Easter would fall on the same weekend as the FHSU Rodeo this year.

The rodeo is annually scheduled for the third weekend of April at Doug Philip Arena. To accommodate for the Easter holiday, the 2019 NIRA event will be shortened from three days to two.

“We’ve had rain, wind, snow and 26 degrees,” Rumford said. “One year we had to cancel Friday’s events because of rain and mud, but we were able to get it all in on Saturday and Sunday. We are used to making adjustments.”

Rumford stressed that all the traditional events will still be held at the 53rd annual rodeo, including crowning the Fort Hays State Rodeo Queen during Friday night’s performance.

“We will just have more kids in the two days of slack,” Rumford said of the overflow number of contestants in certain events. “We’re even going to still have Cowboy Church.”

The church service, ordinarily held on Sunday morning of the rodeo weekend, is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday this year. Public performances begin at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

Events for the nearly 500 competitors from 22 schools in the Central Plains Region are: bareback bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, cowgirls barrel racing, cowgirls breakaway roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping.

Tickets can be purchased at the Student Service Center in FHSU’s Memorial Union; Orscheln Farm & Home, 2900 Broadway Ave.; and Vanderbilt’s, 2704 Vine. Advance ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Prices at the gate will be $12 (adults) and $8 (children). FHSU student admission is $5 with their Tiger ID card.