About the Name ....
• The Brawley Chamber of
Commerce conducted a contest to namethe rodeo and community
celebration. The winner and recipient of a $25 U.S. Savings Bond was
Marial (Mrs. Rex) Hudson, who submitted “Cattle Call,” the name of a
popular western song written by Tex Owens in 1934 and made famous by
Eddy Arnold
About the Rodeo ...
• The first two
rodeos - in 1957 and 1958 - were considered "amateur" affairs. The
event went "pro" in 1960 when it was sanctioned by the Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)
About the Rodeo Committee ...
• The original Rodeo Committee was composed of Ed Rutherford, Louise Willey, Dick Smith and Al Smith.
• Real Estate Broker Al Smith, now retired, is the last surviving member of the founding committee.
About the Stock Contractor ...
•
In its first years, the stock contractor for Cattle Call was a company
co-owned by Pete Grubb and Ed Rutherford. After Grubb’s death,
Rutherford joined forces with Cotton Rosser and formed the Flying U
Rodeo Company. The Flying U has been providing livestockever since.
About the Arena ...
• The Rodeo Committee leased approximately 40 acres in the New River bottom from the city of Brawley.
• The lease agreement with the city requires that the Rodeo Committee
spend any money remaining after covering expenses to maintain and make
improvements to the facility.
•
Because of building code constraints, building a grandstand from the
ground up was too expensive, so reinforced concrete stands were poured
a top a huge mound of dirt – an estimated 33,000 yards –00 hauled to
the site.
• The entire physical facility was built in approximately three months, using donated or volunteer labor.
• The grandstand was erected in 30 days, with a new row of concrete stands poured daily.
• The original grandstand had 2,040 seats. It has been expanded several times to its current capacity of 5,264.
• The bucking chutes were fabricated at the Orita Land & Cattle Co.
feedlot and secured in place at the arena just in time for the first
performance in 1958.
• Dignitary seating above the chutes was paid for with funds contributed by the Lions and Soroptomist Clubs.
