Iron Horse likely to stay in Ignacio

Iron Horse likely to stay in Ignacio

Aug 25, 2001

by Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

If organizers of the Four Corners Iron Horse Motorcycle Rally are nervous about where they will hold their event next year, they’re not showing it.

Many bikers are already en route to Ignacio for next week’s hoopla, and although arrangements for next year’s rally have not been finalized, the rally-goers will be told with confidence to return to the same venue — not Cortez or Dolores, as had been considered — in 2002.

"We intend to have our 10th anniversary that’s coming up next year here at the Sky Ute Events Center," said rally organizer Warren "Easy" Bernard at a press conference in Durango Friday morning.

"We have to negotiate that with the Southern Ute Tribe this year after the rally’s over with. We’re hoping this will be a very favorable rally for us so that when we go into 2002 we hope it’s right there at the events center."

Late last year, rally organizers approached Montezuma County about the possibility of moving the event to the county fairgrounds, but the county commissioners eventually said no. Later, organizers talked with the town of Dolores about having the gathering there, but the town was regarded as too small to handle the rally, which attracted nearly 30,000 motorcyclists last year.

Bernard said organizers are currently searching for some land to give the rally a permanent home, but that too will be in the Ignacio area.

"We have looked at quite a bit and we have a parcel that we are very close to writing a contract on right now and another parcel that was just brought to our attention a couple of days ago that we’re going to go look at," he said. "They are all around the Ignacio area."

Rally organizers did not reveal in detail what they envision the rally’s permanent home will be like, but did say it could be host to year-round events such as Jeep safaris and concerts.

"It’s real exciting to be thinking about what the rally could be in the next 10 years as far as what we could build for ourselves there," Bernard said.

In the meantime, though, organizers hope to secure the current venue for 2002 so as to allow them time to develop the new site.

"What would work the very best for us is that we would be able to hold the 10th at the events center next year and give us that much time to prepare the property so that we can host a successful event in the 11th year."

The rally, held Aug. 30 through Sept. 2, attracts approximately 30,000 motorcycle enthusiasts to the Four Corners area. Proponents of the rally say the economic benefits of such a large draw far outweigh the inconveniences it may cause to locals. Opponents, however, have expressed their distaste for the loud noise and sometimes crude behavior that have accompanied the rally in the past.

In an effort to address those concerns, rally-board member Gary Cole said there will be some changes to this year’s gathering.

Law officials and rally security will be enforcing the noise ordinance this year and rally-goers will also be asked to adhere to stricter rules on social conduct.

"We’ve instructed vendors that no nudity or obscenities will be allowed," Cole said. "If it does take place, they will either be asked to stop or escorted off the premises. We’re trying to clean up our image some and to promote safety."

No one under 18 will be allowed on the grounds unless the person is with an adult, and everyone under 21 must leave the rally by 8 p.m. In an effort to battle underage drinking, the beer garden and entertainment stage will be fenced off and no one under 21 will be allowed in.

"Only someone who’s 21 will be allowed into the beer garden this year," Cole explained. "In the past you couldn’t buy beer if you were under 21, but you could be in the beer garden.

"We’re trying to prevent any underage drinking and we’re trying to keep a better handle on what goes on with the drinking participants."

Another concern rally organizers are attempting to address is safety. Last year, six motorcyclists died in the Four Corners over the Labor Day weekend. This year, a safety seminar is being offered to anyone interested. The seminar will be conducted by Slider Gilmore, a paramedic and bike enthusiast. The class is aimed at heightening bike safety and educating participants on how to respond to a motorcycle crash scene.

Bernard said projected attendance is the same as last year’s, but commented that bad publicity concerning a change of venue might have adverse effects on rally numbers.

"The 2001 rally this year started with some strife," Bernard stated. "We made a lot of headlines. A lot of them went on the AP wire and we had people calling us from all over the United States thinking that we were done and that we were moving out.

"When somebody reads in a newspaper that Montezuma County says ‘no’ to the rally they have no idea that’s not where we’ve been for the last eight years. They may or may not have planned to come this year — we have no idea. But because of some of the media that went out, I’m sure we lost some people that could have come this year."

Bernard said some of the criticism was unfounded and that many area residents are in support of the rally, according to a survey conducted by the Durango Area Chamber of Commerce.

The survey showed that as many as one-third of rally participants are local and that the economic benefits extend beyond motels, restaurants and gas stations.

"It showed that, really, a major part of the community was behind the motorcycle rally," Bernard said of the DACRA report. "Unfortunately, the nay-sayers are the ones that are the most vocal and get most of the ink."

Bernard said rally organizers do not have any intention of making the rally bigger but are striving to make it a long-lasting tradition.

"We do not hope to become the largest rally in the country; our hope is for longevity," he said. "We want this rally to be around for a long, long time."

Bernard added that he hopes the rally’s efforts to be more sensitive to the community’s concerns will not go unnoticed.

"We want to be represented in the media and thought of by people as an event that helps the community, " he said. "We might cause a little noise — a lot of noise. And the congestion that’s here, I’m sure it’s frustrating for people as well as for some of the motorcyclists who come here. But we’re here to stay and we think the rally has done a great deal of good."