When Conner Halverson describes bull riding, he makes it sound pretty simple.Â
“You just kind of get on and ride,†he said.
Of course, it isn’t quite so mundane. The 19-year-old from Gordon throws himself onto the back of an angry 2,000-pound animal and struggles to keep his balance for 8 seconds.
For Halverson and thousands of others, rodeo riding is a way of life. So when the National High School Finals Rodeo was forced by a Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department decision to move from the Lancaster County Event Center to Guthrie, Oklahoma, all it meant to him was a few more hours in the car.
It was a huge economic hit to Lincoln's economy, though — possibly to the tune of $16 million in lost revenue for local businesses, according to Amy Dickerson, managing director of the Lancaster County Event Center.
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Additionally, the county spent $6.6 million of lodging tax dollars to update the campgrounds and facilities in preparation for the event, which boasts the most contestants of any rodeo in the world.
Although the rodeo didn't end up in Lincoln this year, it wasn't for lack of effort from the event center. Dickerson said her staff's work on the project began in the spring of 2016, when they organized a bid for the event.
Over the course of a lengthy selection process, Lincoln's bid was pitted against others from Gillette and Rock Springs in Wyoming; Springfield, Illinois; and Kansas City. Ultimately, after a unanimous vote of representatives from 43 states, some Canadian provinces, Australia and Mexico, Lincoln won the bid for 2020 and 2021, as well as 2026 and 2027.
Lincoln’s central location in the United States was key in that decision, Dickerson said, as well as its willingness to make improvements to the event center and Lincoln's selection of restaurants and accommodations.
During the spring, as the coronavirus swept through the nation and many summer events were postponed or canceled, the event center scrambled to create a safe path forward, Dickerson said. Ultimately, in a decision she said the event center supported, the Health Department decided that was impossible.
While the decision was best for safety and the rodeo will still come to town next summer, Dickerson said it was disappointing not to be able to host this year after her staff’s hard work.
“It’ll be even better next year,†she said.
But Lincoln’s inability to host wasn’t enough to deter the rodeo from going forward, as competitors from around the country descended upon the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie last week.Â
Halverson had a banner week, finishing seventh overall after coming second at Nebraska’s high school rodeo finals this spring. While he would have preferred the event in his home state, he's used to traveling for rodeos.
"It didn't really matter to me," he said. "It would have been nice to have it in Lincoln."
After competing in the high school finals for four straight years, Halverson said, it was disappointing to have his last one disrupted by the virus. His rodeo days are far from done, however, as he's been competing on the Professional Bull Riding circuit since he turned 18.
The lessons that Halverson has learned and the friends he's made from bull riding transcend distance, state borders and even the virus.Â
"A lot of my closest friends live nowhere near me," he said. "But we see each other every week because of rodeoing."