By Tim Unruh

Salina Journal

ELLSWORTH -- The 10th annual End of the Trail Ranch Rodeo in Ellsworth has stalled.

Dennis Katzenmeier, Ellsworth, the rodeo's general chairman, said the event lost administrative support from the Ellsworth Kanopolis Area Chamber of Commerce. He said the chamber also transferred all of the money from the rodeo's savings account to the chamber's general fund.

The chamber board pulled its support July 10, Katzenmeier said.

Rodeo organizers made several attempts to regain backing and funding from the chamber. After the latest request for funding at the Dec. 3 chamber board meeting, the board took no action, Katzenmeier said. The rodeo board decided Dec. 20 not to stage the event in mid-April.

"We came to the conclusion that without funding and sponsorships, we couldn't have it this year," he said.

Chamber director Nick Slechta and board president Amy Eck could not be reached Saturday. Board members Wanda Morford and Jon Halbgewachs declined comment.

Katzenmeier said the chamber's decision essentially ended the rodeo that brought more than 100 cowboys and cowgirls from ranches in several states to compete in the two-day event every April. He said it attracted 500 to 1,000 spectators.

The event included other activities, such as a chuckwagon cookout and a ranch horse competition.

For the rodeo to continue, Katzenmeier said another group must be formed and money raised.

The chamber's responsibility, he said, was to collect money from sponsors and money at the gate, and keep the books. The rodeo's 20 volunteers took care of collecting sponsorships and running the event, he said.

Katzenmeier suggested that the chamber "didn't want to deal with the work."

When the rodeo was first presented to the chamber board in late 1997, Katzenmeier said he sold it as a fund raising event.

"I'm sure one of the reasons the chamber pulled out was the rodeo wasn't bringing any money in, but the chamber isn't supposed to be raising money. It's supposed to be bringing visitors in," Katzenmeier said.

Ellsworth merchant Jim Gray, owner of Drover's Mercantile, wondered how many community events actually make money.

"For some reason that seems to be the criteria the chamber makes decisions on. If it doesn't make money, they don't want to support it," Gray said.

Mark Roehrman, owner of the Ellsworth Antique Mall, isn't happy when any event is lost, but he said the rodeo wasn't that lucrative to his business.

"We don't see much from that event. I'm sure there are other businesses that do," he said.

The rodeo brings "quite a few people" to Paden's Place Restaurant, Ellsworth, said owner Linda Siemsen,

"Any event like that is good to have in a small town," she said.

The cancellation affects the town that enjoys a "unique frontier history," Gray said. Ellsworth also celebrates its heritage every fall with Cowtown Days. This year it was combined with the Great American Cattle Drive.

"It is kind of sad that we've got a western image and you pull the rug out from one of our major events," Gray said.

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.