Rapid City and Denver stock shows overlap in 2008

By Andrea J. Cook, Journal staff | Saturday, February 03, 2007

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RAPID CITY — When the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo wraps up this afternoon, next year will already be on the minds of several vendors who will face a logistical dilemma to get back to Rapid City in 2008.

Several vendors travel directly from Denver’s National Western Stock Show to Rapid City, but next year, the two events will overlap. The final weekend of the 16-day Denver stock show is the opening weekend of the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo. The Denver show is scheduled for Jan. 12 to Jan. 27. The 50th annual Black Hills Stock Show is scheduled for Jan. 25 through

Feb. 3.

“It’s going to be a nightmare,” said Marianne Sasak, who operates Steamboat Ranch Wear, a large clothing and boot booth. Sasak has set up shop in the same second-floor spot in Rushmore Hall for the past five years. She comes directly from Denver to Rapid City each year.

The shows overlapped five years ago, according to stock show general manager Ron Jeffries.

“There will be some concerns,” Jeffries said. “There will be some logistics we’ll have to take care of.”

Both shows have strict rules about when vendors must arrive and when they can shut down their booths. Vendors are not released from the Denver show until noon Sunday, Sasak said.

Next year, that would be the third day of the Rapid City event, and stock show organizers need booths full of vendors and their wares when the show starts Friday.

“There’s no way I can skip this show,” Sasak said. “I love to be here, I’d almost drop Denver if I could, but I can’t do that, either.”

Pam Teller, assistant general manager of the stock show, understands the vendors’ dilemma, but her first concern is the stock show. And she has a waiting list of vendors hoping someone doesn’t claim their spot for the stock show.

Teller is confident that vendors will make the necessary adjustments to be in both places. Some will probably split their inventories and staffs to run at both places, she said.

“Both are such big shows, most vendors don’t want to give up either one of those weekends,” Teller said.

Teller is already asking vendors what she can do to make it easier for them next year.

“It’s important to me that my vendors are happy,” she said. “If my vendors are happy, the people will come (to the stock show).”

Vendors also must consider the risk of losing their location at either stock show by missing one of the events.

Location is important, Sasak said. Customers expect to find vendors where they saw them the previous year, she said.

“Once you lose a space, people can’t find you when you move in a show,” Sasak said. “I have people who bought this year because they saw it last year.”

Mark and Sherrie Brown’s Wild Wire West is a “mom and pop” operation. They switched locations from LaCroix Hall to the concourse in front of the arena a few years ago hoping for a better traffic flow.

Mark Brown says they lost as many customers as they gained by the move.

They hope next year’s schedule conflict doesn’t force them to make a choice between shows.

“It’s tragic (that the shows overlap),” Mark Brown said. The Rapid City event is a favorite. They like the people they meet across the counter and those working behind the scenes, he said.

Operators of the stock show are progressive thinkers who keep trying to appeal to a larger market, he said.

“This show is on the grow,” Mark Brown said.

The Riviera, Texas, couple have two children who helped with their booth for years, but both will be away at college next year. The Browns work about 20 shows each year.

The Browns have some time to plan for next year. They have an older booth they could bring back into service, or they might have a new booth built. And they have a part-time helper who might be free to staff the booth in Denver or Rapid City for the overlapping weekend.

The Linn Post and Pipe booth is a one-man operation for Richard Stubben of Creighton, Neb. Like most vendors, he learned about the conflicting dates Monday during a vendors meeting.

Stubben said sales could determine which show he chooses to attend. But both shows are good venues for him to show his livestock equipment. Many of his customers go home and take measurements before calling him to place an order.

“I can’t be in two places at one time,” Stubben said. “It’s going to be tough.”

Teller intends to do everything she can to help vendors overcome the logistical hurdles they’ll face next year. That could include providing extra help to unload trailers and set up booths for people who must split inventories and staff.

Teller said it’s out of the question to allow vendors coming from Denver to arrive late.

“I couldn’t make an exception for one or all,” she said. “If I did, it would affect the integrity of the show, and I’m not willing to do that.”

Jeffries views the conflict as an opportunity for the stock show to attract people traveling to Denver for events.

Quarter horse exhibitors could compete in Denver and easily make the 400-mile trek to Rapid City for the show preceding the Black Hills Stock Show at the Pennington County Event Center, he said.

The stock show rodeo and other ticketed events should not be affected by the conflict, Teller said.

One stock show event may have to move, Jeffries said. The sheep dog trials are normally Monday. Denver hosts trials Friday, Saturday and the final Sunday of the show. About half of the contestants competing in Rapid City compete in the Denver event.

Teller is confident that the experienced vendors she works with will make the adjustments necessary to be at both events.

“It will work,” she said. “We just kind of got a monkey wrench thrown. We know far enough ahead of time that we can make it work.”

Contact Andrea J. Cook at 394-8423 or andrea.cook@rapidcityjournal.com