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 next Clovis Rodeo begins the day after the rodeo finishes in April. 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.
Executive Board
Members of the 2024 Executive Board include:
Gene Bruce, Danny Swenson, Clancy Wardle, Ron Dunbar
Message from the 2024 President, Clancy Wardle
Board of Directors
Members of the 2024 Board of Directors include:
Front Row – Ben Genco, George Thornburg, Clancy Wardle, Vince Genco, Ron Dunbar
Back Row – Danny Swenson, Gene Bruce, Mark Thompson, Greg Gillard, Ken Elliott, Dan Rigsbee
Not Pictured – Justin Menard, Michael Peoples, Chuck Rigsbee, Gary Bower, Radar Ryan, Bryan Grunewald, Karen Thompson
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 2024 Associate Directors include:
Front Row – Pat Ruth, Justin Witte, Jay Ventress, Ruth Jones, Joan Lassley, Katie McDougald, Sabrena Gillard, Janna Smith, Jordan Cota
Back Row – Mike Jones, Monte Person, Jerry Storelli, Art Negrete, Jeff Hollis, Chad Rolen, Steve Henry, Brad Ireland
Not Pictured- Davis Agbisit, Kyle Bower, Katy Fox, Kayli Gobeli, Jerry Jones, Cristen Martin, Bret Mercer, Elliot Mercer, James Pippen, Eric Sharton, Scott Sharton, Debbie Tweedy, Kenny Cowger, Chad Bower, Wyatt Jones, Alice Heinz, Fred Terazon