Rodeo arena lights need replacing, court learns before Bordertown Showdown

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“They were outdated in the 1990s…”

With preparations underway for the annual Bordertown Showdown rodeo and games set for early April at the La Salle arena on North Main Street in Cotulla, county commissioners have begun talks on replacing broken and outdated equipment at the site.

Rodeo organizer Ira Lansford addressed the court on Monday, March 9, to report that while the three-day event from April 2 to 4 is expected to draw large crowds of spectators and participants from across the US and overseas, the 30-year-old arena is ill-equipped to serve its visitors.

Lansford said that some upgrades to the site are underway but that he believes replacing stadium-style lighting at the arena will require more funds than are available to the non-profit organization.

The Bordertown Showdown has become one of the largest attractions to rodeo-goers in South Texas outside the Cotulla Ranch Rodeo, set to take place during Wild Hog Weekend this week at the county fairgrounds and American Legion Arena on Hwy 97 in Cotulla.

Held at the La Salle Youth Rodeo Association (LSYRA) Arena near the intersection of North Main and IH-35, the Bordertown Showdown is in its fourth year and features amateur rodeo competitors in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Winners earn cash prizes and buckles; proceeds from the event are used for scholarships and to help support competitors at regional and national events across North America.

Last year’s event drew an estimated 600 spectators and attracted competitors from across Texas and other states as well as Canada and Australia.

Lansford reported to commissioners earlier this year that the crowd included visitors from Italy, France, England, and the Netherlands as well as rodeo fans from across the US.

This year’s side attractions will include a youth barbecue contest in addition to other cooking events, an Easter egg hunt, games and entertainment. Evenings are highlighted by live music and dancing in the arena.

The county government has pledged to support the organization in its promotions and other expenses with an annual grant of $5,500.

The city of Cotulla stands to benefit from the event’s tourism attraction by collecting hotel occupancy taxes that peak for the April weekend. City councilors agreed last month to grant the organization $5,000.

“The electrical system is outdated,” Lansford told commissioners on Monday. “Dilley is donating some equipment from their arena, but eventually with better lighting we can put more use to the rodeo grounds themselves. The site is also suitable as a staging area during emergencies, such as an evacuation from coastal cities.

“Sixteen lights are not working right now,” Lansford added. “These lights came from a tennis court in Houston in 1997. There are 32 of them altogether, and they cost a thousand dollars apiece.”

“Come up with a number, and we will see what we can afford,” County Judge Leodoro Martinez III said.

“Right now, we are looking at the breakers,” Lansford said. “They are 480-volt breakers. They cost four hundred dollars apiece.

“The breakers are bad,” he added. “They were outdated in the 1990s. They don’t make these anymore.”

Commissioners have begun considering using retired lighting equipment from Martinez Park, which is being upgraded with $6 million in artificial turf as well as further expenses for grandstand shades, a walking trail, and landscaping near its new splash pad.

TopSite Civil Engineer Jorge Martinez, under contract with the county, said on Monday that he believes field lights at Martinez Park are still operational, and the county judge has floated the idea of transferring the parking lot lights from Martinez Park to the rodeo arena.

Commissioners will be required to hold further talks on expenditures for the arena and may cast a vote in a specific agenda item to grant the funds for an item that serves a public purpose, according to County Attorney Elizabeth Martinez this week.