The Cowboys and Cowgirls Behind the Chutes: Cheyenne Frontier Days Volunteers

The roots of Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo run deep into the history of the Old West. The first CFD is said to have taken place in 1896 when a bunch of ranch cowboys got together and held an impromptu “cowboy contest.” The following year Frederick Angier, a promoter of passenger business on the Union Pacific railroad, pondered how to bring more commerce to his railroad. His attention was drawn to a group of ranch employees that coaxed a reluctant horse into a stock car for shipment. The horse seemed to be winning this argument as the cowboys pushed, shoved and shouted without much success and with a great deal of commotion. That’s when the idea occurred to Angier of hosting a wild bronc and wild cowboy show somewhere on the Union Pacific line and carting passengers to its location. Angier approached the offices of the CHEYENNE SUN-LEADER and pitched his idea to the newspaper’s editor, Colonel E.A. Slack.

Always a proponent for his town, Slacker immediately realized the potential for business establishments of Cheyenne, including his own printing company. He approached the new Mayor, William M. Schnitger, a suave businessman himself. Schnitger jumped on the idea. The rest, as they say, is history.

As each year passes, the CFD crowds grew larger, and the anticipation for this great event continues to escalate into the tradition it is today. Anyone that has attended CFD knows that this organization runs like a well-oiled machine. The General Committee is composed of eleven elected volunteer professional and business people and the one salaried position of Executive Director. These gentlemen have worked their way through the ranks to their positions, positions that require countless hours of hard work and dedication. On any given day, these guys can clock in from 4 to 8 hours.

Each General Committee Chairman heads a committee ranging from Contract Acts to Security to Concessions to Grounds. In each committee, there are subcommittees, with the end result being a group of 2,500 volunteers who organize, produce and promote CFD. A General Committee member must have a good business sense and have the organization’s best interest at heart, as well as the ability to commit huge blocks of time.

Cheyenne native Dale Von Krosigk began his twenty-one year CFD volunteer career in the barns, saddling parade horses. Then, he advanced to working the arena in various capacities, continuing his hard work and dedication to serving

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