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Horse council: Snowmass rodeo plan flawed, lacks necessary input

In May 2022, we (Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council) discovered that no equine experts had been consulted by the POSTR board (a Snowmass Village community volunteer board of citizens) or by the town of Snowmass Village (TOSV) Town Council before bringing the current rodeo plan forward to the TOSV planning commissioners. 

We will now be encouraging the residents and visitors of Snowmass Village and our Aspen communities to become involved. These safety aspects for the rodeo contestants, their animals, the stock contractor and the spectators are the driving factors for our decision making. We are deeply disappointed in the unanimous “approval with recommendations” by the planning commissioners, but we are ready to help “make the Rodeo Plan right the first time, for the future.” The next meeting is at 4 p.m. Monday at the Town Council. We are asking anyone interested in the Town Park Plan to attend, listen and speak. 

Our position of record is: The TOSV Town Park Plan, which was given to the Planning Commission, is a plan that is inadequate to sustain a safe, efficient rodeo. The RFVHC asked that the TOSV planning commissioners not rubber stamp a plan that the TOSV Town Council has submitted without the review and complete in-put from the Snowmass Western Heritage Association rodeo board, the contestants, the “back of the house” and “front of the house” rodeo staff and not forgetting to ask for the opinions of the yearly 22,000 spectators that have grown to love our rodeo. 



The 5.25.22 RFVHC Rodeo Safety Report is found on the home page of the http://www.RFVHorseCouncil.org website or here https://www.rfvhorsecouncil.org/uploads/1/1/1/9/11199712/rfvhc_5.25.22_revised_rodeo_safety_report.pdf

Karin Reid Offield 




President, Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council