Organizers of the Utah Days of '47 Rodeo say they are taking extra precautions to try and keep rodeo athletes, staff, animals and spectators safe as triple-digit temperatures remain in the forecast heading into the Pioneer Day weekend.
Their preparations come after the event's president and CEO Dan Shaw received medical treatment Tuesday after exhibiting signs of an apparent heat-related illness ahead of a press conference for the upcoming series of events. Shaw and others, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, had arrived at the Utah Days of '47 Arena on horseback following a cattle drive through downtown Salt Lake City on Tuesday morning, when Shaw began to slump over a bit.
The other riders recognized something was wrong and were able to help Shaw off his horse and cool him down before an ambulance arrived. Tommy Joe Lucia, the rodeo's executive director, said Shaw had gotten "a little overheated" during the ride and was treated without being transported to a hospital.
"He's perfectly fine," Lucia said. "(First responders) told us the same thing they tell all of us — drink more water, stay cool and take care of yourself."
The Utah Days of '47 Rodeo begins Wednesday at the Utah Days of '47 Arena. There are other events scheduled on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday in Salt Lake City, and other events scheduled for Spanish Fork and Ogden over the next several days.
At the same time, the weather forecast over that time calls for potential extreme heat to return this weekend.
KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson says a low-pressure system passing through the state is helping push in scattered monsoonal showers and thunderstorms across the state Tuesday, Wednesday and possibly Thursday before another high-pressure system "repositions" over Utah ahead of the weekend. The high-pressure system could bring record-breaking high temperatures along with it, he added.
High temperatures along the Wasatch Front are forecast to fall a bit, into the upper 90s, before ramping back into the triple-digits again as early as Friday — the same type of heat that prompted warnings and advisories across Utah the past few days. The hot temperatures are projected to remain in place through the holiday weekend.
Lucia said there are steps in place to prepare for what's in the forecast. For example, he said staff will conduct event preparation work in the morning, taking a break in the heat of the afternoon before returning to work in the evening. Teams will also go around to make sure staff and athletes are hydrated and cooled down.
They also found more locations for the animals so they get enough shade over the next week. They will also be provided electrolytes to make sure they are hydrated for the scheduled events, Lucia said.
"It's an issue for everybody," he said. "There are all these protocols in place to make sure we take care of the staff, the athletes and the animals because it is very hot and dry. And, interesting enough, you don't realize that you're getting dehydrated until sometimes it's too late."
Cox said drinking water, staying in the shade and applying sunscreen are all good recommendations for Utahns to follow if they plan on attending any outdoor events planned for the holiday weekend.
The heat brings other potential risks, such as wildfires. The governor urged caution when launching fireworks this weekend, because Utah is beginning to dry out after a robust winter.
"We know the fire danger is increasing and this is a very busy weekend for fireworks and everything else, so just be smart," he said. "Be cautious and make sure you're following the rules. ... Because of the wet spring, we actually have more to burn because we have more growth that's come up. The fire danger is as high as we've seen it in a long time so we just want everyone to be careful."
Why the rodeo matters for riders and Utahns
The rodeo is a big deal for cowboys and cowgirls, as $2 million in prizes will be awarded over the next week. That matters because earnings qualify athletes for the massive National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas at the end of the year, Lucia says.
The event brings some of the best riders in the world, who don't have to travel far from event to event since all three arenas are along the Wasatch Front.
"We'll see all the major cowboys stay here in the state for this week to try and earn some money," he said. "It's a huge thing."
But the events also tie into the Pioneer Day holiday, which is rich in agricultural history.
Riding through downtown Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Cox couldn't help but think of the wide streets that Brigham Young helped map out to better handle wagon traffic back in the early days of pioneer settlement.
For Cox, the ride, as well as many of the upcoming events like the rodeo, highlights Utah's past and present.
"This allows us to celebrate the history of our state," he said. "It is about pioneers and those who settled here, and remembering how we got where we are. But ... a pioneer is defined as kind of a first. So there are lots of people who are the first of their families to move here just in the past couple weeks, so we're celebrating them too.
"At some point, someone in your line was the first to come to Utah," he adds. "That makes you a pioneer."