About Us &
Meet the Team
There is a legend that says rodeo got it’s start when “one ranch said they had a horse that couldn’t be rode, and another ranch said they had a cowboy that couldn’t be thrown.” Rodeo is a unique part of American history and holds a rich place in our western heritage. For a dedicated group of volunteers, preserving the cattle ranching history of the region, the spirit of rodeo and the Clovis Way of Life is why you can find them hard at work on many a day, night and weekend.
Planning for the 109th annual Clovis Rodeo began the day after the rodeo finished in 2022. The board meets monthly, and sometimes more at the rodeo hall, to not just plan events throughout the year, but to primarily focus on a month of festivities that raise more than $350,000 annually for local charities. The all-volunteer Clovis Rodeo Association is dedicated to giving back to a community many of them have called home their whole life.
The all-volunteer, non-profit Clovis Rodeo Association (CRA) has more than 700 members. The board of directors is elected by a vote of the membership and oversees the management of the rodeo grounds. Proceeds from the Clovis Rodeo and related events coordinated by CRA benefit more than twenty-one local charities annually, including 4-H, FFA, Clovis Schools, Clovis Community Hospital, Valley Children’s Healthcare, Fresno State Rodeo Team, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Break the Barriers, Boy Scouts of America, and the Central California Blood Center.
If anything the Rodeo Association understands, it is the rich and meaningful history that sets the community of Clovis apart. Remembering your roots and what it took to get here helps us have a deeper appreciation for the days ahead.
As we look forward to the next rodeo, the board of directors, associate directors, members, supporting charities, non-profits and service clubs who have devoted countless volunteer hours to making it happen, year after year, look forward to hosting you. Know your support will impact your community in a number of ways including the funding of camp for the boy scouts, a bloodmobile for the blood center, the efforts of the Clovis American Legion post to assist our veterans, the Clovis Police Department, breast cancer research, Boys and Girls Club and Clovis Schools.
Board of Directors
Members of the 2023 Board of Directors include:
Front Row: George Thornburg, Vince Genco, Clancy Wardle and Karen Thompson
Second Row: Ken Elliott, Gene Bruce, Ron Dunbar, Ben Genco, Bryan Grunewald and Gary Bower
Third Row: Justin Menard, Danny Swenson, Mark Thompson, Greg Gillard and Dan Rigsbee
Not Pictured: Mike Peoples, Radar Ryan and Chuck Rigsbee
Associate Directors
The Clovis Rodeo Association has thirty associate directors who help with the many responsibilities needed to coordinate our annual rodeo. There are more than 700 member volunteers in total who work tirelessly to make sure the rodeo happens year after year. Many of them work behind the scenes and are never seen by our rodeo fans. We’d like to thank each and every one of our volunteers, because without them we wouldn’t be celebrating 109 years of rodeo in Clovis. Their tireless efforts and commitment to the Clovis Rodeo is greatly appreciated!
Members of the 2023 Associate Directors include:
Pictured are Front Row: Monte Person, Jerry Storelli, Ruth Jones, Joan Lassley, Sabrena Gillard, Jay Ventress
Second Row: Elliott Mercer, Steve Henry, Art Negrete, Jordan Cota, David Agbisit, Jeff Hollis, Justin Witte, Brad Ireland, and Kayli Gobeli
Third Row: Pat Ruth, Chad Rolen, Mike Jones, Nikki Gibler, James Pippen, Steve Kilby, Jerry Jones, Katie McDougald and Cristen Martin
Not Pictured are Kyle Bower, Katy Fox, Bret Mercer, Eric Scharton, Scott Scharton and Debbie Tweedy