Irvine 20 Mile Rodeo cancelled

By Justin Seward

Commentator/Courier

The Irvine 20 Mile Rodeo board decided earlier this month the 36th annual event on the September long weekend has been cancelled for this year.
“It just won’t work because we won’t get enough people in there to pay our bills,” said Larry Grossman, rodeo president.
“We’re only allowed 200 people and it’s just not enough money. (There) is no way when your stock cost is $5,000 to bring the stock in and you get 200 people in there, (then) no. Then you have to have somebody at the gate, take a phone number and your name. Then you got to have extra help in the grand stand to keep people apart and you can’t do this.”
With the rodeo not riding on this year, it will not hurt the event in years to come.
“We’ll be fine because we always get a lot of local support from day one of the rodeo because it’s the community,” said Grossman.
“I don’t think it’s going to hurt us that bad, as far as being a year off. It was the best thing to do.”
He anticipates that the rodeo will be back in 2021.