It?s a done deal Cowboys, Whoop-Up moves to June PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 12 January 2007 10:57

By Buck Traxler
I-O Editor
Hoping to gain a better attendance and a better show of Cowboys, the Conrad Lions Club on Monday, broke a long-standing tradition and moved the date of their Whoop-Up Trail Days Celebration.
On a vote of 13-4, club members voted to push the “third weekend in May” back to the second weekend in June (9-10).
The main goal in selecting a new date is to get people in the stands.
There is a lot of school-ending activity during the old date as well as stiff competition with an event in Kalispell and the Wild Bucking Horse Show in Miles City.

Whoop Up '06 photograph
AIRBORN -- Jayleen Harris goes for an ?air ride? in the junior steer riding segment of the 66th annual two-day Conrad Lions Whoop-Up Rodeo in May. The Lions Club has moved the event from May to June. It was decided at their meeting on Monday. Meanwhile, this picture of a bull winning was another of our favorite shots for 2006.
By going to June 9-10 the only rodeo will be in Wilsall, which is located approximately 24 miles north of Livingston on Hwy. 89.
Stock contractor Dick Lyman told the Lions Club he would not raise stock prices this year and that the date change would be beneficial.
He also told the club, “You’ve always gone after the northern tier, but there is a certain audience in Great Falls that don’t mind driving 60 miles to see a rodeo.”

The Conrad Area Chamber of Commerce, who organizes and handles both the children’s parade and main parade at Whoop-Up, has already agreed to move the parades to a new date selected by the Lions.
The Antique Auto Show, a big attraction during Whoop-Up, organized by Harold and Betty Olson, has also indicted a date change would not be a problem.
In an earlier story in the I-O about the proposed date change, comments were asked for.
At the Monday meeting, Lions Club President Mark Leys said no one had contacted him about the proposed date change. I-O Editor Buck Traxler also noted that there had been zero comments, either way. Dan Majerus said that law enforcement officers stopped by Stockman Bank to say the date change was great because school was out then.
Lyman commented again, “I don’t think the change will hurt you, plus you should get people going to the Park. I don’t see a downside.”
Lion member Mitch Kellogg commented, “I don’t think it will make much difference, it won’t make any difference to the hill.”
Mark your calendar for June 9-10, it’s going to be time to Whoop-it-Up!
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