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Commissioners agree to help haul sand for county fair rodeo arena
Summary
After county staff and community members described poor arena footing that deterred barrel racers last year, commissioners approved a motion to assist in bringing sand to the fairgrounds and authorized county resources to coordinate hauling and spreading; details on source, loads and billing will be worked out.
The Griggs County Board of Commissioners agreed June 8 to help the county fair board by hauling and placing sand in the rodeo arena to improve footing for barrel racers.
Chad described a vendor showing water-cooler options and then raised concerns about the rodeo arena surface, saying riders refused to compete last year because the ground was unsafe for horses. Commissioners discussed potential donors of sand (Scott and local donors were named), estimated initial needs (roughly 25 loads to resurface half the arena), equipment logistics (loaders, skid steers, box scrapers) and whether county road crews would bill for equipment time or donate labor.
Commissioner Rod moved to proceed with helping bring sand to the fairgrounds for the rodeo arena; the motion was seconded and carried on roll call. Staff and volunteers will confirm sand quality (no clay), coordinate loading and hauling, and schedule work to complete spreading and leveling well before the July 11 rodeo date.
Why it matters: improving arena footing is essential to attract competitors and preserve animal welfare; the fair and rodeo are significant local events for community engagement.
Next steps: staff will identify sand sources (options mentioned: Scott, Johnson stock farm, David Zimick), confirm quantity and quality, determine whether county equipment will be billed or donated, and report logistics to the board at a future meeting.
