Fishing is good on the North Platte River
College rodeo returns
The 64th annual CNFR in June was the event’s 14th year in Casper. Every year, about 400 cowboys and cowgirls from 100 universities and colleges compete in the rodeo, which attracts as many as 28,000 fans, Walters said.
Before settling in Casper, the rodeo spent two years in Rapid City, S.D., and was in Bozeman, Mont., for 18 years before that.
Last year, rodeo organizers signed a contract to hold the CNFR at the Casper Events Center through 2022.
Since opening in 1982, the Casper Events Center has been the city’s primary venue for large events.
The events center’s arena seats up to 10,400, although the standard is about 9,200. The center also has five meeting rooms that total 8,000 square feet and that can be combined into one large room.
Walters said the venue is ideal, and the people — not just the events center staff but the entire community — are easy to work with.
“The venue, the presentation, the people — it’s just outstanding,” he said. “That’s why we signed such an extended contract.
“Not only do we have the city of Casper and Natrona County supporting what we do, every entity — all the local restaurants, hotels, motels, everything — backs the college rodeo, and they do their best to provide an atmosphere that is second to none.
“When you put all those factors together, there is no better place anywhere in the U.S. for us to be than Casper, Wyoming.”
