CFD CEO Tom Hirsig to step down after 2027 rodeo season
· Yahoo Sports
CHEYENNE — Cheyenne Frontier Days will be looking for a new head man.
Thursday morning, the rodeo announced that longtime CEO Tom Hirsig will be stepping away from his position after the 2027 rodeo season.
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“Tom’s leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to Cheyenne Frontier Days have left an indelible mark on this organization,” the Cheyenne Frontier Days Board of Directors said in a news release. “While no one can truly replace Tom, we are committed to building upon the strong foundation he has helped create. We are incredibly grateful that he will remain with us through the 2027 show as we work together to ensure a thoughtful and successful transition.”
While it was a difficult decision to come to, Hirsig said he knew it was time.
“Right now, the CFD organization is in great shape,” Hirsig told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “We have done a lot of construction out there, we’ve got a good business model that we’re running off of, we have a great board of directors, great General Committee and we have a great staff. It just feels like this is a really good time to transition to somebody new.”
Hirsig was able to continue his family’s lifelong connection to rodeo, and the Western way of life reflects the traditions that have defined the organization for generations. Throughout his tenure, he has championed the values of volunteerism, community involvement and Western heritage, while helping position Cheyenne Frontier Days for continued success, according to the release.
While he and his family have played a huge role in helping make CFD into what it is today, he said that he is just a small piece in the larger picture.
“I know (my family legacy) is an important part of the story of Cheyenne Frontier Days, but Cheyenne Frontier Days is what’s important,” Hirsig said. “It’s important to this community to have the event and to make sure that we keep having this event for our community. Being able to set the organization up for future success is more important to me than talking about my legacy.”
Hirsig has served as the CFD CEO since 2015, and has led the rodeo to some of its most prosperous times. Nine of the top 10 years for total ticket sales have come under Hirsig’s stewardship.
“It’s hard to put into concise words what he’s done,” CFD Board Chairman Tad Herz said. “He’s done so much and has been transformational for our show. When you consider that he took the job in 2015 and when he finishes, that’s 13 years and nine of the top 10 for ticket sales for Cheyenne Frontier Days have fallen under that 13-year tenure. It’s just fabulous and something that’s very quantifiable.”
In a statement sent to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Thursday, Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins thanked Hirsig for his years of leadership.
“Tom’s family has been part of Cheyenne and Cheyenne Frontier Days since the very beginning,” Collins said. “He grew up at the park; competed in the rodeo, ending his career as a champion; and is now finishing a successful career with Frontier Days as their CEO. We owe the Hirsig family a huge debt of gratitude for their generation of service to the ‘Daddy of ‘em All.’”
Jim Walter, CEO of Visit Cheyenne, had similar things to say.
“Visit Cheyenne is losing a trusted partner with Tom stepping down at the end of the 2027 show,” Walter said. “His leadership over the past decade has driven transformational projects on the rodeo grounds, including the new Indian Village and Chute 9, right as rodeo has exploded in popularity nationwide.
“We’ll miss working with Tom, and we have full confidence CFD’s board will find a leader who understands the history, tradition and potential of Cheyenne Frontier Days to keep growing as a force in our tourism economy.”
While Hirsig did a lot for CFD and the expansion of the “Daddy of ‘em All,” not all of the decisions made during his tenure were well received. Decisions to cancel CFD during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as this year’s decision to postpone a round of barrel racing, were met with backlash from fans and contestants alike.
This past summer, Hirsig and CFD elected to remove qualifying from timed events, instead going to a system where other rodeos around the regions served to qualify timed-event athletes for the main performances.
Instead of nearly 200 athletes in each event showing up for qualifying, only a handful from each timed event received invitations to compete due to the new format.
“Honestly, as a contestant here, it kind of stinks for us because a lot of folks didn’t get in,” tie-down roper Dylan Hancock told WyoSports. “There was a lot of money when they had slack in. It is what it is, but it kind of stinks because everyone comes to Cheyenne, and now it kind of limits those guys not getting to come and see everybody. A lot of people show up for slack, but it is what it is, and the show must go on.”
While Hirsig understands the criticism, he also said both he and the rodeo stand by their decisions to change both the format and qualifying.
“The organization is very vested in those changes,” Hirsig said. “They recognize the consumer experience of being able to sit and watch a rodeo and see the very top contestants in every event, and the board is very positive about the format and the way the rodeo is going.
“… I don’t think there’s anything I can tell them that take it as personally (that can’t compete at CFD now). There’s lots of opportunities. We take the top eight contestants from the Mountain State Circuit. We have the qualifiers around the country, and two of them are within a couple hundred miles of Cheyenne, so there are some ways to get in. It’s just a little more difficult.”
The recent release of Hirsig’s nearly $400,000 annual salary also has sparked some controversy on social media and forums. One person posting on the Cheyenne Rants and Raves Facebook page wrote, “No one on CFD should pull this kind of (money). Imagine how far even ½ would go to making CFD more affordable. GREED.”
Hirsig remained adamant that none of the criticism he has heard from contestants or blowback he received about his salary online affected his decision to step down. Instead, he said this decision was one he had thought about for years, and he finally felt like it was the right time.
The 131st anniversary Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration is set for July 23-Aug. 1, 2027.