he rodeo and see it be a success. (Hanson) Connie Roberts, Holmberg's daughter, remembers her father's passion for the Flint Hills Rodeo: "He never was a farmer or a cowboy. He never did anything like that but he just loved this rodeo. He and Ray just thoroughly enjoyed it!" (qtd. in Hanson). Evidence of this passion by people who are not daily involved in ranching or rodeo activities is still found today in and around Chase County.Much has changed throughout the history of the Flint Hills Rodeo. Inflation has greatly raised the original ticket price, which was only fifty cents for adults and twenty cents for children under fifteen. Increased regulation by the PRCA also slowly choke out regular appearances by trick riders and wild west shows. E. C. Roberts even pointed out that the cowboys had changed; today, there are more city boys who pay to learn how to rope a steer and ride a bull than there are real cowboys on a ranch (Birk, "Rodeo,"). However, despite the number of changes, the Flint Hill Rodeo endures, a surprise even to Roberts before his death. "'Why I didn't figure it'd last at all,' he said with a grin. 'It just all started out playing'" ("Mr. Rodeo"). Let's hope the Flint Hills Rodeo will be around for many years so future generations will have the chance to "play rodeo."...
