Missouri hopes to lasso national rodeo event with upgrades to state fairgrounds
JEFFERSON CITY • Missouri Gov. Mike Parson wants to invest nearly $5 million in a project that might not have a payback until long after he’s left office.
The governor, a Republican, is calling on lawmakers to set aside money to make upgrades to the 118-year-old Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, with a goal of luring the National High School Rodeo Finals to the facility.
The finals, which can draw as many as 1,700 competitors and crowds estimated at 50,000, are already scheduled through 2029, meaning it could be more than a decade before Missouri could have an opportunity to serve as a host.
If Parson wins a full term in 2020, he will have been gone from office five years before any calves are roped or bulls ridden.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-hopes-to-lasso-national-rodeo-event-with-upgrades-to/article_dd4e2e7b-6e81-54e2-a508-6b00ecbfd475.html