Rodeo de Santa Fe is roping ’em in

It was busy Saturday at the Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds for Jim Butler, wrapping up the 69th season of what he says has become one of the top 100 rodeos in the nation. “We’re doing good,” Butler, president of the nonprofit that operates the Rodeo de Santa Fe, said in an interview Saturday afternoon. “Our goal is to see another 70 years.” The four-day rodeo, which draws about 500 contestants each year, opened Wednesday evening. Butler began its final day with the morning slack — overflow contestants who didn’t qualify for the evening competition in a variety of events. Then it was time for the Kids Exceptional Rodeo, a roping and riding experience for special-needs youth. He spent the rest of the day preparing for the evening finale, attended by more than 4,000 people. Butler said he and the committee of the nonprofit Rodeo de Santa Fe Inc. couldn’t be happier with how successful the event has been. He noted the steady stream of professional contestants who come to Santa Fe each year, daily attendance figures that average between 4,000 and 5,000 spectators and the high quality of acts the rodeo brings...MORE