The status of this year’s Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo is up in the air. Corn Palace Rodeo Committee Chair Jim Miskimins gave an update to the Mitchell City Council on Monday night. Corn Palace Stampede Incorporated (CPS) sued its landlord, Horsemen’s Sports Incorporated (HSI), which owns the rodeo grounds. CPS had been making improvements to the rodeo grounds through the years. HSI members destroyed improvements made in 2020 by CPS, according to Miskimins. A Davison County grand jury unanimously found that HSI materially breached its lease with CPS and awarded major improvements made to the grounds to CPS. The grand jury also awarded $100,000 to CPS.
Miakimins says a decision on the 2023 rodeo will likely be made this week, as the Rodeo Committee’s Executive Board will meet on Tuesday night.
Corn Palace Stampede Incorporated will lease around 20 acres of city-owned land north of the Pepsi Soccer Complex for future rodeos.