MONTE VISTA — Ski-Hi Stampede Committee President Greg Metz is excited about the 100th annual Ski-Hi Stampede, July 21-24.

“I am excited to be a part of all of it. I have been the President for 3 years now and being a part of this is great,” Metz said. “This year there will be a two-day parade (Friday and Saturday), last year there was a one-day parade. This year we already have great numbers for the concert coming in, too. We had that Bullfighters Only competition last weekend and for our first time ever doing that, the turnout was so great. We had around 1,150 people come out. We wanted to bring the BFO out as a pre-Stampede kickoff and it really worked out well.” 

The Bullfighters Only competition was on Saturday, July 9, at Ski-Hi Park and featured nine of the top bullfighters in the country.

“There was a tailgate party right before the show, and everyone really enjoyed that. We just want everyone to have a great time and really enjoy this Stampede. It’s going to be a historical event,” Metz said. 

Metz said that this year’s dance which will be held right after the concert on Thursday night will be birthday themed to celebrate the 100^th-year celebration of Ski-Hi Stampede and will feature a singer from Texas — Houston Bernard.

“It’s exciting to get someone that travels all over out here, I think this is going to be something fun for this year’s dance,” Metz said.

Bernard was born in Oklahoma and is a relative of the famous gunfighter George “Bittercreek” Newcomb. Newcomb was a member of the infamous “Wild Bunch,” one of the most wanted men of the 1890s era. He was known for robbing banks and trains and was gunned down and laid to rest in Oklahoma in 1895.

Bernard’s father and uncle have some rich roots in country music, playing back up for many Country Western stars including Tanya Tucker.

Metz also talked about the Rotary Chuck Wagon Dinner that will take place on Thursday, July 21, at 5 p.m. at the Ski-Hi Complex.

“The dinner is always good and after the dinner, Dwight Yoakam along with the Josh Abbott Band will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are going fast,” Metz said. “We will have some small presentations all along the way in celebration of the 100th year, and though I am not on the committee, I am sure the parades will have some 100-year themes, too. Nobody will want to miss out on the PRCA rodeos at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday either. All in all, some great events for the 100th annual Ski-Hi Stampede.”  

The Ski-Hi Committee sponsored a mural in town and Metz said that this is the perfect addition to the celebration.

“This mural looks great. This is a picture from one of the original programs from years ago. The artist did a great job on the mural, and I think it shows a great part of history,” he said. 

For more information on the 100th annual Ski-Hi Stampede, read the Official Program inside today’s paper.