Rodeo Austin Canceled Amid Coronavirus Fears

AUSTIN, TX — The growing threat of new coronavirus outbreak has prompted the cancellation of Austin Rodeo, officials said Thursday.

"Public health and safety remain Rodeo Austin's top priority," event organizers wrote on Twitter. "At the direction of City of Austin and Travis County officials, Rodeo Austin is heartbroken that 2020 events have been canceled. Rodeo Austin will respectfully comply with the public officials' orders in an effort to keep the safety and well-being of our community at the forefront."

In their prepared statement, organizers of the event that has been staged locally sine 1938 alluded to the wide impact a cancellation brings: "Canceling our event is extremely difficult for fans, volunteers and exhibitors, rodeo athletes, donors, contractor and everyone involved."

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Austin Rodeo had been scheduled from March 14-28 before the decision was made to cancel. On the Austin Rodeo website, a countdown clock that had been ticking away the time before the launch of this year's version was stopped at 1:15:54. A rodeo, fair, stock show and live music had been planned for its scores of aficionados.

"We will continue to serve our mission of growing the next generation," officials said. "It's in our roots," organizers added while inviting fans to their Fair & Rodeo event scheduled next year.

Since its 1981 inception, the rodeo has raised more than $8 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students. "In many cases, the financial support is undeniably the number one factor in whether or not that student can attend college," officials explained on their website. "Equally as important, students know that a group of donors and supporters believe in their abilities. That support and responsibility helps them excel in college and in turn complete successful careers and live fulfilling lives."

The suspension represents the latest of a growing list of large-scale events to be canceled as fear of new coronavirus grows, now dubbed COVID-19, grows. Health officials have directed local governments to reassess large-scale events, prompting Austin and Travis County officials to ban big gatherings as a way of mitigating the potential to spread illness.

That ban led to last week's cancellation of SXSW and suspension of the Houston Stock Show & Rodeo in Houston. The former was to launch this week for a two-week run, while the latter had already been open for several days before being canceled outright.

Related stories:

• Austin Bans Events With 2,500-Plus Attendees Over Coronavirus
• Houston Rodeo Canceled Over Coronavirus Fears
• Coronavirus Forces SXSW Cancellation: Here's Why

Now called COVID-19, the respiratory ailment is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have sparked outbreaks in the past. To date, no confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Travis County.

In terms of providing refunds to ticket holders, officials pleaded for patience as they develop a process to compensate rodeo fans. Officials said they would update ticket holders on securing refunds in the near future.

According to the 2018 Austin Rodeo annual report, the event drew a quarter-million visitors during its two-week run that year.