The Chandler Round Up Club Rodeo Arena has gotten a facelift.
The arena now has new bleachers and lights, upgrading the experience for spectators and competitors alike.
“We’ve got lights in the pens now. We got new arena lights. We got no shadows,” said member Clu Harkins, part of the group that helped with the procurement and installation of the new elements. “We got lights here in the back over by the concession stand.”
On July 2, Harkins, his parents, and other volunteers with the club were hard at work getting the bleachers in place before the rodeo kicks off on July 25. They’re elevated and lifted, according to Harkins, so that those sitting on the first row can now see over the railing around the arena. At that time, they were down to welding everything together, along with putting in all the safety standards like handrails and platforms, as well as some ramps and stairs.
Some may find the bleachers familiar. They were previously used at the Chandler football field, and some still have season ticket holder names on them. The club also purchased some panels from OSU to replace missing seats.
Harkins said the Round Up club purchased the bleachers in Spring 2022, however, had to wait to install them until the funding fell into place. With the new bleachers, they’ve doubled their capacity, taking it from four rows up to 11.
“I feel like these are probably a little bit safer than the older ones. It’ll be more user-friendly with the handrails and the walkways,” he said. “Now you get a more bird’s-eye view being at the top, with it being more seating versus the old four. We did elevate everything up.”
All the work has been done voluntarily by members of the Round Up Club, all of whom have their own day jobs. Harkins said they came in on the weekends and after work in the evenings to make sure that the arena was updated and ready for the rodeo. He added that some even came in on their vacations to pitch in.
Harkins hopes the new look brings out more of the community and that the new bleachers and lights will accommodate everyone’s experience of the show.
“It’s a big upgrade compared to what it was,” he said.
Harkins praised the founders of the club and said he doesn’t think they would have expected the group to be this far along in the time frame that they built. The club is selfsufficient and raises its own money, coming a long way when other rodeo round-up clubs have failed.
“We are thriving and that’s a big blessing, with the community being very supportive,” he said. “It does help that there’s a strong rodeo community in the area.” The Chandler Open Rodeo will take place on July 25 and 26 at the arena. Things should kick off around 8 p.m. both nights.