SAN ANTONIO – The work is messy, loud and fast, but the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo couldn’t happen without it.
Crews began hauling in more than 2,000 tons of dirt on Monday morning inside the Frost Bank Center.
The dirt is the same one that performers, athletes and animals alike have stepped on since it was first purchased in 1988.
“This dirt has entertained, so to speak, a lot of champions, a lot of legends, a lot of professionals,” said Bernie Ramirez, chairman of the rodeo’s operations committee. “And so, yes, it’s a big part of our San Antonio history.”
The transformation takes less than a day but requires hours of coordinated work, including repeated truck trips and heavy machinery.
Organizers say that laying the dirt takes about seven hours. Cleaning it up after the event takes about five hours.
The process is not as simple as dumping any kind of dirt on the floor. Ramirez said crews mix in additional materials to ensure the surface performs as intended.
“We add ingredients to the dirt,” he said. “It might take a little sand, might take a little clay. There’s a specific kind of formula.”
The goal is a surface that supports both athletes and animals.
“It’s got to have the right balance in there for it. Like you said, softer landings — which don’t always happen — and good footing for animals. The animals have to have good footing in order to perform at their very best.”
For Ramirez, the work pays off once the arena fills and the next generation steps onto the floor.
“Their eyes are just as big as saucers when they step into this arena with a full crowd here,” he said.
The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is set to begin Thursday, Feb. 12. You can find more information on the rodeo’s website here.
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