CALDWELL, Idaho — This summer the Caldwell Night Rodeo celebrated its hundredth year. And as they look toward the next century, they are making some improvements.
"We are the rodeo we are today, because of our fans and the support of the community," Rodeo President, Edward Lodge told KTVB.
On Monday the rodeo launched a $7.5 million project to bring enhancements to the rodeo grounds. The project includes a new announcer booth (Phase 1), 20 sky boxes (Phase 2), and upgrades to the Coors Corner sections (Phase 3).
"It's about enhancing the fan experience, providing more seats," Lodge said. "We are a growing rodeo. We sell out most nights now... We know we have to grow as our fan base grows," Lodge said.
Right now, each night the rodeo can hold 7,000 people. The project will add an additional 500 seats, Lodge said.
"We'll need every single seat," he added.
Lodge said the sky boxes were designed with the property's neighbors in mind.
"We will make those sky boxes double sided," Lodge said. "We want to support our partners, the College of Idaho, the Canyon County Fair."
Fans in the boxes will be able to use them for the rodeo or for the college games.
With about $3.5 million of the money already raised through sponsors and donors, the rodeo said goodbye to a piece of its history Monday - the decades old announcer booth.
Rodeo members, city officials, and members of the public watched as it came down Monday morning.
"As we grow as a society, we need to continue growing the rodeo, and we want to continue to support them from years on out," Caldwell City Council President, Brad Doty told KTVB at the rodeo grounds.
If the rodeo raises an additional $1.6 million, the city has agreed to match that with money from their general funds, Doty said.
Each phase will take place in the off seasons of the rodeos. Lodge said the rodeo will still go on each summer. He estimates work to be completed by the rodeo in 2028.
Continuing "the legacy"
For many locals, the rodeo is home to them and they are excited about the changes.
Megan McLeod Sprague started riding mutton busters when she was a little girl at The Caldwell Night Rodeo. Now, she's been professionally barrel racing for the last 25 years, she told KTVB Monday.
"To know that our industry is still expanding and growing, and to watch it happen in my backyard, it means everything to me," Sprague said. "What we do is so hard, the blood, sweat and tears, the hours we put in and to be able to come to your hometown rodeo and have that electric feeling and know that you're supported by so many people, is it truly is an amazing feeling."
Former Governor, Butch Otter, said the Rodeo is in his DNA.
"This is my hometown" Otter said. "When you get 100 years of that, you got a pretty good legacy, and that's what we're trying to do, is build, start building a legacy for the next 100 years."