Rodeo cancellation brings disappointment

SAINT JOHNS, Mich. (WLNS) – Disappointment in Clinton County as a summer tradition, The Mint Festival Rodeo, is canceled.

The rodeo is now run by a company called 989 Productions and is not connected to the mint festival itself. Robert Blackwell is one of many who was sad to hear there would be no rodeo this year.

“To say that it’s a disappointment is a huge understatement,” Blackwell said.

New financial requirements made it too expensive to saddle up this year. Hannah Spitzley recalled what it means to the community.

“It’s such a staple for the community and has always brought us together. And I’m just disappointed to see it go,” Spitzley said.

The group in charge of the rodeo says Clinton County now requires the event to have a $3 million liability insurance coverage.

“To tax somebody so hard, to where they can’t even facilitate the event. The community suffers, no one else,” Blackwell said.

A spokesperson for the county, John Fuentes, said these changes came about due to the rodeo splitting from the mint festival itself.

“The county was notified just before last year’s mint festival and rodeo that two organizations had separated and they were no longer associated directly. So there was no insurance for the County,” Fuentes said.

Even though the 2 events are separate, people worry the mint festival will suffer. because the rodeo brings in a crowd of its own.

“Although the mint fest does not plan the rodeo itself, it’s associated with the mint fest. And a lot of people come for both. People don’t realize that the rodeo brings in people from all over the country that compete and then those people go to the mint fest,” Spitzley said.

People have their cowboy hats on and their fingers crossed that the rodeo will be back in the future.

” I understand that things happen.” Spitzley said, “It’s not gonna happen this year, that’s decided, done. But I hope it can make a comeback within the coming years.”

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