With a sold-out crowd and cheering fans, the 82nd Cal Poly Royal Rodeo kicked off on Friday evening.
The rodeo means a lot to bareback rider Wyatt Wood.
“A crowd full of people that want to be there and support you and it means a lot without a bunch of fans there probably wouldn’t be a rodeo,” Wood said.
Wood said those moments in the ring go by quickly.
“It goes by fast and the next thing you know you’re on the thing and nodding your head and you're in the arena for eight seconds and then hop off and wave to the crowd,” Wood said.
The Cal Poly Royal Rodeo is a student-run event and every year there is a theme for each night of the rodeo.
“On Friday night is green and gold night. We are highlighting and helping raise funds and awareness for Jack's Helping Hand. They are one of our key partners with Cal Poly Rodeo and tomorrow is patriot night,” Anna-Grace Durham, Media Coordinator for Cal Poly Rodeo, said.
However, this year with anticipated rains, the rodeo has several safety precautions they're taking for both the animals and athletes.
“We’ll get a roller in here and after the performance we will seal the arena tight which will keep it from absorbing any more moisture,” Ben Londo, Cal Poly Rodeo head coach, said.
Saturday's preliminary events are being moved.
“We go to a different arena. A beach, sand arena which handles our rodeo action a lot better with excessive moisture,” Londo said.
Despite the forecast, Cal Poly alumni Amy and Hal Charter are back in San Luis Obispo for their first Cal Poly Rodeo since graduating in 1989.
“Every year it’s a celebration of the university and what it's all about here and it does bring back great memories,” Charter said.
