LETTER FROM THE SRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Dear SRA Members and Potential SRA Members, The Board of Directors for the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA) is a group elected by the general membership to conduct business and represent every aspect of the association. This consists of business that involves members, contestants, stock contractors, committees, and spectator views. For the 2013 rodeo season, the board of directors implemented a rule that required every member that bought a card to compete at a minimum of 5 SRA first sanctioned rodeos, in order to qualify for the Southern Finals Rodeo (SFR). Prior to the last rodeo of the season, we had a combined total of 15 rough stock contestants for those three events qualified for the SFR. The SRA has a commitment to our stock contractors to provide contestants for their rodeos. We also have a commitment to the producer of our finals to provide 12 bareback riders, 12 saddle bronc riders, 12 bull riders, 12 calf ropers, 12 breakaway ropers, 12 steer wrestlers, and 12 barrel racers at each SFR. This year we will only be able to provide a total of 12 horse riders (between the saddle bronc and bareback riding), and struggled to find 12 qualified contestants in other events as well. With an increase in rodeos this year, a sharp drop in membership, and the struggle to come up with qualified contestants for the SFR, we knew a business decision must be made. The SRA generates the majority of its finances from membership sales. We are no longer an association that can provide all of its stock contractors quality contestants by pulling from a small area. We must branch out and reach cowboys and cowgirls in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia in order to accommodate the rodeos we are having in those states. Rodeo as we once knew it is gone. Families that rodeo are now forced to stay in a smaller travel area due to the increase in every expense involved with rodeo. In order to generate memberships, we must make our association more “rodeo friendly”. This will be our 40th SFR and the SRA did not have a minimum rodeo requirement rule until 2006. We have survived through the good and bad from decisions such as this which allowed us to grow and sell more memberships. In return, we will be able to provide more quality contestants to all of our stock contractors, provide 12 contestants in every event at the SFR, and provide the spectators that pay premium admission prices at every rodeo with a great show to watch. All of the decisions the board of directors make are in consideration of every aspect involved to make our association better. We will never be able to make everyone happy, but we strive to please the majority. With that in mind, we as a board also implemented a rodeo incentive rule for 2014. Every stock contractor that puts on a rodeo sanctioned only by the SRA will have the opportunity to have one incentive rodeo (we hope to increase this in the future). When a rodeo is classified as an “incentive rodeo”, contestants will be competing for double points. This will be a huge motivator for members deciding which rodeos to enter and will bring contestants to our SRA rodeos. We foresee this being the tip of the iceberg for bigger and better things to come. The board has discussed many new incentive options and hopes to put together more possibilities in the near future. Starting this year, the SRA will offer every high school senior, in the states mentioned above, a free membership to the SRA. We must encourage the youth of our sport to participate and carry on our legacy. With the 2014 rodeo season upon us, we look forward to the anticipated growth of our association and the excitement our incentives will bring. The need for change is sometimes hard for us to see and understand, but be confident in knowing that the board of directors makes every decision based on facts and numbers, not personal opinion. The betterment of this association comes first and foremost and it is our duty as a board to ensure this happens. Best Regards, SRA Board of Directors
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 20:03:16 +0000
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