1 week Ago By Vince Ybarra
CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Cloudy skies covered the Clovis Rodeo on Saturday, but the possibility of rain didn't stop Madera resident Aldo Cardenas from heading out for the festivities. "It was a 50-50 chance.
I was gonna flip a coin and maybe come but if not, hey, you know, it is what it is," Cardenas said. Rodeo officials say they've made some important upgrades since 2014 - when they had to get help from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office helicopter after a storm. Eagle One hovered over the muddy grounds, using the rotor blades as a fan.
"It was like a lake in front of the arena. But we've worked really hard to address that, so now we got that drain in the front, so the water goes away from the arena. So, there was really no effect on our dirt in the arena this year," Clovis Rodeo director Chuck Rigsbee said.
As the arena remained packed for the rodeo events, hundreds of others gathered to browse vendors like Nicholson Hat Company. Fresno custom hatter Keryn Nicholson says she's doubled her inventory for the rodeo this year. And although she saw a slight decrease in foot traffic on Saturday, she did sell a lot of her ready to wear products.
"It's been really good for felt in the rain cause you can wear felt in the rain. It sort of takes the place of an umbrella," Nicholson said. For news updates, follow Vince Ybarra on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
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