Winning UA Coach Adia Barnes is 2022 Rodeo Parade Grand Marshal
SAFETY AT THE TUCSON RODEO PARADE
WHAT:Safety has been a top priority of
the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee since the parade’s inception in 1925, and the
committee is constantly making adjustments to enhance parade safety.
This commitment to
safety includes an annual post-parade review of safety practices and
opportunities for improvement. The Tucson Rodeo Parade’s commitment to safety
has delivered accident-free parades since 2008.
The Tucson Rodeo Parade
Committee is confident that the annual safety reviews and resulting changes
have enhanced safety at the parade for all involved – entrants, spectators and
animals – while also preserving the distinct character of this 97-year Tucson
tradition.
SAFETY
PRACTICES:The Tucson Rodeo Parade’s safety practices are so
seamlessly integrated into the parade operations that many do not realize their
purpose. Here, some of the most important safety elements are explained.
Parade
Location
The first Tucson Rodeo Parade took
place in the streets of downtown Tucson in 1925. The parade route grew crowded,
and the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee elected to move it to the area near the Tucson
Rodeo Grounds in 1991 to provide a safer environment.
The streets of Southern Tucson provide
better participant and spectator parking, wider streets and less congestion to
create a safer, more spectator-friendly parade route. The Tucson Rodeo Grounds
also provide an ideal warm-up environment where horseback entrants can exercise
their horses and prepare themselves for the parade.
Parade Participants
Participants
(via the entrant’s “Responsible Party”) are given extensive rules for parade
day to help ensure the safest parade possible, which are enforced both in the
line-up areas and along the parade route.
For
example, you may see police and Tucson Rodeo Parade Marshals and volunteers
encouraging walking groups to “keep pace” with the parade. This ensures that no
walking entrants become separated from their rolling entry and keeps the parade
route free from distractions and potential safety hazards.
Parade Spectators
Parade spectators play
an important role in parade safety. The Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee works
diligently to educate the public about proper behavior along the parade route,
including newspaper ads, parade announcements (along the entire route before
the parade begins and throughout the parade in the grandstands) and constant
reminders/enforcement from Parade marshals and Tucson Police.
The Tucson Rodeo Parade
Committee spectator guidelines are as follows:
·All spectators
must stay off the curb line.
·Noisemakers
(horns, cap guns, balloons, poppers) may not be brought to the parade and will
be confiscated.
·Spectators are
restricted to the official parade route and may not enter the staging and
line-up areas in the Fairgrounds Neighborhood.
Parade Teams (horses and
drivers)
The Tucson Rodeo Parade
Committee’s horse contractor established a network of team owners to supply the
horse teams and the drivers for these horse teams beginning with the 2008
parade. This approach ensures that the teams and drivers are as familiar with
each other as possible.
The Tucson Rodeo Parade
Committee also ensures the drivers are familiar with the parade itself,
distributing an information manual that addresses the route, turn-out locations
(for any teams unfit to continue in the parade) and emergency contact
locations.
In addition, each horse
drawn unit is assigned a “handler.” Handlers may be on foot or on horseback,
and are there to help keep the team of horses calm and collected throughout the
parade.
Parade Marshals
Often mistaken as being
a part of the parade, both horseback and foot marshals play an important role
in parade safety.
Horseback marshals have
been a part of the Tucson Rodeo Parade tradition since the 1930s. These
experienced equestrians ride experienced horses through the parade and assist
other entrants as needed. This includes single and group riders, and wagons.
Each horseback marshal
receives training at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds in the form of multiple day-long
sessions with a marching band, fire trucks and police sirens, flags, etc. Most
horses are experienced in parades to begin with, but it’s possible to startle
any horse and the extra familiarization takes place annually as a precaution.
In addition, all horseback marshals must receive certification that they
completed the training and they and their horse performed well in the
parade-like environment.
Foot marshals are
volunteers who help keep the streets clear for the parade to come through.
Assisted by Tucson Police Officers and hired security, foot marshals are
responsible for keeping children off curbs, keeping people from crossing the
street, etc.
Parade
Equipment
While the Tucson Rodeo
Parade Committee works to preserve the character of its equipment, they have
made some important modifications through the years.
In fact, most of the
Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee equipment has been enhanced with a braking
system. These brakes are often the focus of volunteer work details as each
piece of horse-drawn equipment receives brake maintenance annually.
The brakes help drivers
keep pace with the parade, can also be applied in emergency situations, and
significantly enhance the stopping ability of parade equipment.
The Tucson Rodeo Parade
Committee keeps documentation on the work done on all its equipment and has
also assigned “load values” to each piece to ensure that it is not overloaded
parade day (to ensure proper operation of brakes, etc.). Any entrants found in
violation of the load capacity are removed from the parade.
This work extends to the
harnesses. Documentation is kept on all harnesses and every entrant (whether
equipment is owned by the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee or private entry) has
their harnesses hand inspected parade morning before being allowed on the
parade route.
Parking
is available to the public at the Tucson
Rodeo Grounds before 8 a.m., when Tucson
Police close down the streets to
accommodate the Tucson Rodeo Parade.
Included
in the procession are local and national
dignitaries, Native American royalty and
performers, historical wagons and colorful
floats, marching bands and mariachies,
royalty from five rodeos and working cowboys.
The League of Mexican-American Women and
Mormon Battalion are entries that have been in
the parade greater than 30 consecutive years.
WATCHING
THE PARADE: The parade is free to
spectators along the route. The Parade Committee
asks all spectators to follow instructions from
Tucson Police Department (TPD) officers and
parade volunteers to help ensure a safe parade.
All spectators must stay off the curb
line. Arrive early to secure viewing spots
along the parade route, or sit in the
grandstands along Irvington Road near the Rodeo
Grounds.
Noisemakers
(horns, cap guns, balloons, poppers) may not be
brought to the parade and will be confiscated.
Also for safety, spectators are restricted to the
official parade route and may not enter the
staging and line-up areas in the Fairgrounds
Neighborhood.
RODEO
PARADE TICKETS: Grandstand tickets can be
purchased online at www.tucsonrodeoparade.org or
at the Rodeo Parade Office at 4823 South Sixth
Avenue or via phone with a credit card (294-1280).
Grandstand tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for
children under 12.
PARKING:
Parking is available at the Rodeo Grounds
before 8 a.m. Pre-parade entertainment at the
grandstands begins at 8 a.m. Spectators driving to
the parade will have the traditional access to
parking on the rodeo grounds through the gate on 3rd
Avenue. Access the 3rd avenue
gate by traveling west bound on Irvington
to 3rd, then through the gate. Please
note that Irvington is completely closed at 8 a.m.
except for parade spectators and performers.
Arrive early to see our pre-parade entertainment
beginning at 8 a.m. Someone at the gate will
provide instructions on where to park.
GRANDSTAND
ENTERTAINMENT seating includes
pre-parade entertainment. Tickets are only $10
each for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and
under. Pre-parade entertainment includes Mariachi
Aztlan de Pueblo High School, the Sons of Orpheus
men's chorus, and a showdown gunfight show
featuring the Pinnacle Peak Pistoleros.
Tucson Rodeo Parade
Museum is open now through April
7, 2018. * Here you can walk among more than 125
horse-drawn vehicles and great displays featuring
life as it was in late 19th century Tucson. The
Museum is at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds, corner of
6th Ave and Irvington Road. Museum hours are 9:30
a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday; closed Sundays.
Museum admission donation is $10 per adult; $7 for
seniors over 65; children under 16 are $2. Private
tours may be arranged year-round by contacting Bob
Stewart @ 520-591-9585 or 520-294-1280. During the
Rodeo, Feb 17-25, 2018 - Museum operates on
reduced hours! Call 520-294-1280 for details.
TUCSON
RODEO PARADE SPONSORSHIP Sponsorships are
available in a variety of levels for Arizona's largest
single-day spectator event with over 150,000
spectators on the parade route and a live
Television broadcast to over 35,000
households. Please contact the Parade office
or Ken Tittelbaugh at 520-841-1131 for sponsorship
information.
History of the Tucson
Rodeo and Parade
In 1924,
Frederick Leighton Kramer, President of the Arizona
Polo Association and later recognized as the Founder
of the Tucson Rodeo and Rodeo Parade, gathered a
group of local business men to discuss the
possibility of having a Rodeo. Continue reading about
the Tucson Rodeo
Parade History.
Tucson Rodeo
web site: www.tucsonrodeo.com Read about the Treasures of the
Santa Catalina Mountains
Discover the forgotten history and legends of the
Catalina Mountains– the lost Iron Door Mine, the lost
city and the lost mission; the history of Oracle and
Buffalo Bill Cody's gold mines in the Catalinas.
Purchase copies at the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum.
Read sample chapters, download FREE PDF and order
online: Treasures
of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
History of the Tucson
Rodeo and Parade
