SAN ANTONIO – ,The more than 2,000 tons of dirt was initially purchased in 1988 in Charlotte, Texas.
Bernie Ramirez, Chairman of the Operations Committee for the San Antonio Rodeo, says it’s no easy task to set every year.
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“It’s very important for the dirt to be consistent, for the animals to have good footing out there. You don’t want them slipping out there. As far as the contestants go, they need to be able to have a soft landing, so to speak," he said.
Volunteers spend about seven hours preparing the ground for the rodeo and five hours removing it after the events are over.
Ramirez says the team combines dirt with sand, salt and other ingredients to achieve the desired consistency; the dirt is then filtered and adjusted every year.
“So basically, we have some clean dirt, if I can say clean dirt,” Ramirez said.
The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo kicks off on February 6. For more information on tickets and events, you can visit the rodeo website.
