Tensions Run High as Two Sides Face Off About Mother Lode Rodeo

The conflict in Sonora, California is heating up between the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Posse and the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.

Mother Lode Round Up

Contract negotiations can be tough sometimes and it seems like the tension that is building between the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Posse and the Mother Lode Fairgrounds is about to blow.

At a July 24 meeting with the fair board, the future of the Sonora, Cali. Mother Lode Roundup seemed to be at stake. After 65 years, the location of the 2025 rodeo is not set and is certainly in jeopardy of not being at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.

According to an article in the Union Democrat, the Roundup General Chairman Mike Suess was joined by a few other posse members at the meeting. Suess alleged that the Mother Lode Fairgrounds CEO Kim Helmbold did not hold up contractual agreements and had not provided the fairgrounds in good working order for the 2024 Roundup Rodeo. He also alleged that there was hostile behavior toward the Posse personnel.

Helmbold responded to the allegations in a separate interview with the Union Democrat. It was her indication that there had not been a formal agreement or contract made between the two parties and she also said that she was never made aware of any issues with the facility in time to repair them for the Roundup.

Helmbold took over as the fairgrounds manager in November of 2022 while Seuss was named the Posse's general chairman prior to the 2024 event. This was the first time the two individual parties worked together to produce the event.

From the outside looking in, contract negotiations for the future look to be in danger.

“I have to look out for the best interests of the Mother Lode Roundup moving forward,” Suess said at the July 24 meeting. “With that being said, if things don’t improve, we will be exploring other options.”

It is Seuss' assertion that he and Helmbold had met and agreed to a 5 year deal where all of the costs would be set in order to budget and plan for the future.

Helmbold disagrees. She does admit that a long term deal was discussed but that there was not an agreement on anything.

“We discussed wanting to do a multi-year contract,” Helmbold said. “We discussed it. We did not have a contract in writing.”

Helmbold claims that a fair board resource coordinator told the fair board that any contract over two years Iength would necessitate a review by the California Department of Food and Agriculture legal department. She also said that the coordinator counseled that all new contracts for the fairgrounds would need to be making money and that the fair board should not enter into any multi-year contracts.

“Anything that is over two years, the state has to look at that. They are going to review that entire contract,” Helmbold said. “This is state property, it is owned by the State of California, so they are protecting their interests.”

A fairboard member confirmed what Helmbold stated.

Seuss expressed concern about the state of the bucking chutes for the 2024 rodeo. Apparently chutes one, two and eight were deemed unsafe by the stock contractor the day of the rodeo. This meant that sponsors that had agreed to have their name on those chutes did not get all the call-outs by the announcer they normally would if those chutes were in use.

The Posse also asserted that this type of thing puts their standing with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in jeopardy.

With several disagreements among the parties about when each knew about the damage, along with access to the facilities and payment, there seems to be a lot to work out.

The Posse hopes to continue to have the event at the Mother Lode fairgrounds.

“All that being said, I am hopeful that we can come together as partners again, and find a hopeful resolution to these issues,” Suess said. “The Posse wants to make this (event) bigger and better, and we want to be partnered with the fairgrounds.”

The fairgrounds wants the Posse to act like every other renter of the facility. Helmbold feels like there is a bit of entitlement with the Posse.

While the meeting was reported to become more amicable as it went on, there is still a clear line drawn in the sand. When asked whether Helmbold thought the rodeo would be held at the fairgrounds in 2025, she clearly put the negotiating back on the Posse.

“That would be 100% up to the Sheriff’s Posse,” Helmbold said.