Short, sweet

The Duncan Banner

This was one parade that was a little less than jubilant, leaving spectators and organizers puzzled and searching for answers. With only seven entries, a few cars and some horses, the short-lived Chisholm Trail Stampede Rodeo Parade left more than a few spectators questioning why they bothered to show at all. “It was very short, sweet,” said Jaretta Sampley, a spectator. She had come out with a group “for the kids.” “We thought it was going to be like an hour or so,” said Ashley Rolen, who attended the event with Sampley. Other viewers looked around expectantly, asking the same question over and over. “Is that it?” The parade’s brevity didn’t just mystify spectators, though. Barbara Davis, PRCA Chisholm Trail Stampede coordinator, said she didn’t know why the participation this year was so lackluster. “I have no clue, no idea. It was kind of strange,” she said. “I was disappointed myself.” Main Street Duncan sponsored the event, but was not responsible for recruiting people to fill the slots, MSD Director Tammy Johnson said. “We just paid the city for the permit to have the parade,” Johnson said. Her best guess for why the event might have been a bust for both entries and viewers is a decrease in the number of people coming to participate in the rodeo. “There’s just not the group of people that normally would have been there,” she said. Johnson also noted that with a few exceptions, people aren’t that interested in parades anymore. What’s more, she added, several other activities happening Saturday, including a car show in another town, might have pulled people away from the parade.