Hell on Wheels Rodeo sets record in Cheyenne, Wyoming

CHEYENNE, WY – The 2022 Hell on Wheels Rodeo and Chuck Wagon Dinner series at the Laramie County Fairgrounds in Archer set new records for attendance, sponsorship, total prize money and economic impact for Cheyenne and Laramie County.

The 3^rd year of the series saw 1754 tickets sold, an increase of 5% over last season despite having one fewer performance. Attendees came from 46 different states and 11 different countries including Turkey, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand. 55% of tickets sold to the rodeo this year were purchased by out of state visitors.

The six rodeos had a direct economic impact from visitors to Laramie County of $464,000 and induced total spending of more than $750,000. “We developed this rodeo series with Dave and Cindy DeLancey in 2020 when we learned we were going to lose Cheyenne Frontier Days to the pandemic that year,” said Domenic Bravo, CEO of Visit Cheyenne, “to see the growth in visitation and support from the community in our three seasons has been so gratifying. We had visitors to the series who planned their entire vacation around being at the chuck wagon dinner and rodeo. The economic impact on the community is important but the visitor experience is the most significant thing we can do.”

The series also saw more cowboy and cowgirl athletes leading to record payouts. The total purse for the six rodeos topped $52,000. The combination of accessible stock, four and five figure purses and the athlete experience are a major selling point of Hell on Wheels on the open rodeo circuit. Athletes from Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, California, and Wyoming competed in the arena this season. Series champions were crowned in 9 events.

The rodeo could not happen without the support of sponsors. Not only do they cover many of the costs of production, but a portion of the sponsorship dollars also go right into athlete’s pockets in the form of added money increasing the purse in each event weekly. “We thank our community partners and as we grow this rodeo, we hope to grow those opportunities for sponsors to become involved,” Bravo said. Sponsors included Black Hills Energy, Dickey’s BBQ Pit, Boots on the Ground Productions, Cheyenne Laramie County Employees Federal Credit Union, Jonah Bank, Cowboy Dodge, ANB Bank, Bison Beverage, Uni-Wyo Credit Union, MSI, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, Jax Outdoor and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum.

The dates for the 2023 Hell on Wheels Rodeo and Chuck Wagon Dinner are June 9^th and 30^th, July 7^th and 14^th, August 25^th, and September 8^th. Tickets go on sale April 1, 2023.

2022 Hell on Wheels Rodeo Champions

The Hell on Wheels Rodeo and Chuck Wagon Dinner Series is produced by Visit Cheyenne in conjunction with Dave and Cindy DeLancey’s Hell on Wheels Rodeo, LLC and 3 Lazy R Chuck Wagon owned and operated by Fred Wood of Pine Bluffs.

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