RODEO

Antone: 'NNRCA is alive and well'

By Quentin Jodie
Navajo Times

CHURCH ROCK, N.M., Aug. 29, 2011

How long will this go on?

That is what current Navajo Nation Rodeo Cowboys Association President Andrew Antone Sr. is wondering as rumors swirled around the association's existence.

"The NNRCA is alive and well," Antone said. "We are still committed to serving the Navajo Nation cowboys and cowgirls."

Since taking office in mid-March, the NNRCA has made some major changes on how it operates. One key decision the NNRCA board of directors acted on was to end its ties with the Indian National Finals Rodeo.

But the aftermath of that decision may have hurt the association as the NNRCA has seen a significant drop in membership.

"I think it's coming from the people," Antone said of the rumors circulating in and around the rodeo community.

"They're saying that because last year we didn't have enough players they're thinking the NNRCA is down and we're fading away," Antone added, referring to the drop of membership.

At the conclusion of the 90th Annual Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial rodeo, Antone said the membership was low and he didn't have an exact figure, but he remains steadfast on his belief that the association is going to get better in the upcoming years.

"We're trying to rebuild and because of our late start we had a hard time getting started," Antone said. "We're struggling a little bit but as a descendant of one of the founding fathers of the NNRCA, I want to pick this thing back up. I want to regenerate and reorganize this association and I think that's what we're doing."

Gold card member Tommy Moore is a part of that team and he said it's going to be some time before the NNRCA is back on its feet.

"We're only three months into this," said Moore, who serves as the rough stock director. "We're still in the planning stage and it's going to take time. We just need to be patient and in time we will get back some of our old members."

As for breaking away from the INFR, Antone said it was in the best interest of the association to end its longstanding relationship. He said he felt that the INFR micromanaged the financial aspects of the association.

"We had no membership to sell," he said. "They took that away from us and all we were to them was a designated region, so they were taking in our money.

"I asked them to kick in some money from their corporate sponsors like they do in pro rodeos but they didn't want to," he added. "Their main objective should have been on the INFR itself instead of taking our money from us."

On top of that, Antone said he felt that the new structure within the INFR dictated what the NNRCA could do.

"As far as being affiliated with the INFR we had very little say-so," Antone said. "We couldn't associate ourselves with non-affiliated INFR members so that hurt our organization.

"We haven't mingled with them in the last 15 to 20 years," he said of the All-Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Central Navajo Rodeo Association. "I think if we can do that it'll be an incentive to get more cowboys to compete."

Moore agreed wholeheartedly and went on to say it was the members who make up each association.

"Whether or not we admit it, we carry the same members," he said. "If we can sanction all our rodeos and put the money up front it will draw in more cowboys."

But because of the economy Moore said the rodeo athletes are being selective in what rodeos they attend.

"They're picky about where they're going (to compete)," Moore said. "They want to make sure the money is good so we all need to work together and accommodate them a little better."

Other than its membership drive, the NNRCA has co-sanctioned all of its rodeos with the AIRCA and CNRA including this year's Ceremonial, which drew 234 contestants.

"We're starting from scratch, but I think right now the cowboys and cowgirls are looking at us again," Antone said. "Everybody was happy and pleased with how we ran the rodeo."

Antone said he is hoping that the Ceremonial will draw in more members but his biggest hurdle right now is filling the vacancies within his administration.

"We are seeking to fill in the board of directors," Antone said. "We need to have some people come in and take office so we can start making plans for the future.

"I would like to have them in place so we can start building the pot for next season," he added.

As for future developments, Antone said he would like the NNRCA to remain independent before joining any other association.

"We are incorporated by the state of New Mexico and I really don't like to be governed by any other association," he said. "What the INFR did to us was put a loop around our necks so we are going to hold back for a while and remain neutral."