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The UA's Rodeo Club raised $30,000 to build a practice arena and facility to aid in recruitment and improve the skills of its members.

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications
September 29, 2009

Jacob Mayfield comes from a lineage of rodeo competitors – his father, grandfather and uncle were all involved, with his uncle having completed professionally in calf roping.

Mayfield, who said he's been in the sport "all of my life," had aspirations for competing nationally with an intercollegiate team, which meant that he would have to attend a college or university that had a competitive rodeo club.

Formerly a Mesa Community College student, Mayfield transferred to the University of Arizona, home of the world's oldest intercollegiate organization.

The UA Rodeo Club is now in its 70th year, and is currently celebrating another milestone: the completion of its new practice arena and facility to house and care for animals.

"We are really focusing on getting those kids coming out of community college who are looking to get a four-year degree and also rodeo, too," said Mayfield, a UA senior studying agribusiness economics and management who is also president of the 20-member club.

"The UA is a good option; they don't have to go all the way to New Mexico, Nevada or to Texas," he added. In fact, local cowboys Joe and Clay Parsons - whose family name is strongly associated with the rodeo – are UA Rodeo Club alumni.

Before the new facility was built, Mayfield would keep his horse at his uncle's home in Casa Grande, driving there weekly to work with it. Other students on the team also had long commutes. Mayfield later moved his horse to the home of John Marchello, the club's adviser and an animal science professor, but said it was still a difficult trek to make.

After receiving a land donation of a little more than two acres from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the West Agriculture Campus, club members began raising money to build a facility of their own.

All told, the team raised $30,000 to build the facility, which includes a practice arena, feed lots and nearly 20 animal pens. The site, located near West Prince Road and Interstate 10, will be dedicated Nov. 14.

Having the site available to Rodeo Club members is much more convenient and is a tremendous perk for students, said Mayfield, who competes in team roping and calf roping.

"We really needed a place in Tucson. There are a lot of community colleges in Arizona that have teams, but the nearest place with a nice facility is New Mexico State," he said.  "That was one of the selling points for us, and we did it all ourselves. It was a pretty exciting project." 

UA Rodeo Club members compete in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association's Grand Canyon Region, and are vying for a position at the National Finals Collegiate Rodeo.

The club is gearing up for two National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association competitions – one at Diné College in Tsaile, Ariz., to be held Oct. 9 and 10; another at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces on Oct. 31. Men compete in bareback and saddle riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping and team roping while women compete in barrel racing, goat tying, breakaway and team roping.

Marchello, who has been with both the UA and the club since 1967 and serves as its head coach, said the new facility is a boon for club members and will undoubtedly aid in improving their skills.

"A lot of the kids here came after their parents who had been with rodeo," Marchello said, adding that some of the students he works with now are the grandchildren of former students.

The facility will aid in the club's recruitment of students coming out of high school and those attending community colleges, Marchello said, adding that the club has an endowment to offer scholarships that go toward educational expenses for team members. The club continues to fundraise for additional scholarship funds, and also for equipment and animals.

"This region is pretty competitive, so they have to have talent," said Marchello, also a member of the Tucson Rodeo Committee. "That's why we have the practice area. These kids practice hard."