Bank of the West Renews Sponsorship for Cheyenne Frontier Days

CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West today announced it has renewed its commitment as the presenting sponsor for Cheyenne Frontier Days, which will run from July 19 to 28 in Cheyenne, Wyo. Bank of the West began its sponsorship of the event in 1989. The renewed contract extends the sponsorship through 2015.

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The 10-day event features the country's largest outdoor rodeo, drawing more than 500,000 total attendees and participants from across the country. Nearly 1,500 contestants will compete for more than $1 million in money and prizes. In addition to the rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days activities emphasize western heritage events such as a chuckwagon cook-off and a western art show that is among the most prestigious in the Rocky Mountain region.

"Bank of the West is very pleased to be associated with Cheyenne Frontier Days, which has been an important tradition in the region since the rodeo's founding in 1897," said Michael Robinson head of Bank of the West's Rocky Mountain Division. "Our sponsorship with Cheyenne Frontier Days speaks to our commitment to this region as well as our support for the local economy, small businesses and customers who are a part of this community. We look forward to this year's activities and the opportunity to celebrate the spirit of west, which is alive and well here in the Rocky Mountains."

Cheyenne Frontier Days Chief Executive Officer Dan Cheney observed that the CFD mission has not changed in 117 years. "The purpose of our event is to improve the economic climate in Cheyenne and to support Western heritage, culture and education. Economic impact data shows that we are delivering on our mission and being responsible stewards of our resources to bring money, jobs, and tax revenue to Cheyenne. With support from Bank of the West and other sponsors, CFD will continue to deliver the economic impact that improves the lifestyle of all citizens in Cheyenne and Wyoming." 

Highlights from this year's 117^th annual event will be televised on GAC TV on September 1 at 5 p.m. ET and will repeat on September 7 at 9 a.m. ET.

FUN FACTS ABOUT CHEYENNE, THE OLD WEST, AND RODEOS: 

1. Cheyenne was the destination point of the Goodnight-Loving trail, on which cowboys brought cattle up from Texas, New Mexico and Colorado from the late 1860s until the late 1880s when railroads were opened through the American southwest.
2. Today, the population of Cheyenne Frontier Days is four times greater than the resident population of Cheyenne.
3. After it was founded along the Union Pacific Railroad route in 1867, Cheyenne's population grew so fast that the city earned the nickname, "Magic City of the Plains."
4. It is believed that rodeo was born in 1864 when two groups of cowboys from neighboring ranches met in Deer Trail, Colo., to settle an argument over who was the best at performing everyday ranching tasks. 
5. Cowboy competitions weren't exclusively called rodeos until the 1920s, with professional cowboys officially adopting the term in 1945. Before then, competitions were commonly referred to as frontier days, stampedes and cowboy contests.
6. Before the 1940s, the most popular competitions included trick riding and fancy roping. Also in demand were gymnastic feats performed on horseback at high speed and Roman standing races, where riders stood upon a pair of horses, one foot on each horse. 
7. In the Old West, cowboys' average age was 24. They were paid so badly and worked so hard that two-thirds of them lasted only one trail drive before finding something better to do. Today, cowboys' average age is much higher.
8. Chuckwagons go hand-in-glove with cattle trails. A chuckwagon isn't a general term.  It refers to a mobile kitchen, a specific design of wagon that carried food and cooking equipment, whether as part of a wagon train or cattle drive.

About Bank of the West:
Founded in 1874, $63 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com), member FDIC and equal housing lender, offers a full range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services. The bank operates more than 700 retail and commercial banking locations in 19 Western and Midwestern states. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 80 countries with nearly 200,000 employees.

About Cheyenne Frontier Days™ (CFD):
Cheyenne Frontier Days™, supported by 2,500 volunteers, hosts over 500,000 fans and visitors at Frontier Park annually. Named the PRCA's Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year fourteen times, the "Daddy of 'em All"® is also home to the best cowboys in the world the last full week in July each year. Over the years, CFD's "Frontier Nights"™ has previously hosted major entertainers such as KISS, George Strait, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and many others.  

SOURCE Bank of the West