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Jan. 13, 2001 By Jim Mimiaga The distant rumble of hope that Montezuma County might host the Four Corners Iron Horse Motorcycle rally in 2002 faded this week after the county commissioners informed organizers that holding the popular event at the fairgrounds facility was not likely to happen. In a phone conversation at their weekly meeting, the commissioners told Iron Horse rally representative Jody Bernard that members of the Ute Mountain Ute High School Rodeo Club have already booked their event for Labor Day weekend, the same time the rally is traditionally held. The rodeo club has historically conducted its event over that weekend and has signed up to do so for the next two years, the commissioners said. Furthermore, they said, fairgrounds policy does not allow alcoholic beverages on the premises. "When we told her that, she was sort of like, ‘Oh!’," recalled Commissioner Kent Lindsay Thursday. "Unless they make some sort of a deal with the rodeo club, they can’t hold it there because the policy is first come, first served." Every Labor Day weekend since 1993, and for a week before and after, upwards of 30,000 motorcycle enthusiasts have been gathering in Ignacio and Durango for the controversial rally. Hotels, campgrounds and restaurants within a 100-mile radius fill up, with Main Street Durango transforming into a sea of chrome bikes, leather and raucous good cheer. The lively and ear-splitting event, now based at Sky Ute Downs in Ignacio, features motorcycle parades and clubs, late-night variety shows, vendors, concerts, beer and general partying by participants who arrive from across the country, and beyond, to let off steam, show off their leather and ride classic, American-made Harley Davidson motorcycles. But while the onslaught of bikers celebrating the open road rings cash registers from Cortez to Pagosa Springs, the event’s sheer magnitude has also has brought problems. Last year there were five deaths of rally-goers on area highways, and law-enforcement agencies reported that at times they were taxed to the limit maintaining order. La Plata County Sheriff Duke Schirard has been especially critical of the rally and the occasional lewd and crude behavior of some of the more hard-core participants. But supporters accurately point out that most of the arrests are of local troublemakers that do not represent the event. While inherently rambunctious, the Harley rally scene is actually significantly upscale, considering the high price tag for the bikes that reach $40,000 and above. Indeed, nowadays clientele at such rallies consists more of professional yuppie types — doctors and lawyers — than of the surly characters documented in Hunter S. Thompson’s notorious non-fiction book, The Hells Angels. "The whole thing has been totally blown out of proportion by the Cortez Journal and Durango Herald," charged Jody Bernard, Iron Horse Rally organizer. Bernard complained that recent newspaper articles about the possibility of moving the event to Montezuma County "were way premature and inappropriate because they were based on a 10-minute conversation with the commission," last November. "These discussions of another site are very preliminary and do not at all mean we are leaving Ignacio any time soon," she said. The Iron Horse is still under contract with the Sky Ute Downs for the event, but for how long is not clear. Hampered by growing space needs, Iron Horse representatives have eyed the spacious Montezuma County fairgrounds with their convenient highway access, rural location and ample utility services. Regardless, board president Warren "Easy" Bernard, who did not return phone calls Friday, plans to meet with local law-enforcement representatives later this month to discuss the issue. Whether organizers will look elsewhere, or seek a private landowner willing to host the event locally, is still up in the air. "After we told them what we did, they still wanted to meet with us and the sheriff, so we’ll see what happens," Lindsay said, adding that if held on private land, the event would require a liquor license. "I can’t imagine waiving the fairground’s alcohol-free policy, which they (the rally organizers) need because alcohol sales are a big part of their fundraising efforts," said Commissioner Gene Story. Story said that seeking a privately-owned venue in the county for the rally "would obviously create major impacts that would require them to go through the (high-impact) permit process." |
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Copyright © 2001 the Cortez Journal.
All rights reserved. |
