RAPID CITY, S.D. - The Buffalo sale at the Central State's Fairgrounds Sunday officially wrapped up this year's Stock Show.
The annual sale is put on by Dakota Territory Buffalo Association.
The top selling buffalo bull sold for $12,000. The average per bull was around $4,500.
Meanwhile, over the Civic Center on Sunday, the clean-up began.
Sunday marked the culmination of another annual event that many people plan for all year long, the 2013 Black Hills Stock Show.
By Sunday afternoon, the Civic Center seemed like a lonely place after a week of thousands of people crowding the halls as the 2013 Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo went through its paces. The only remaining events of the Stock Show took place at the Event Center at the Fair Grounds Sunday morning.But at the Civic Center the exit by the vendors was well underway. And it happened fast. Tracy Heitsch says, "They're ready to hit the road. Certainly have maximized their sales and ready to hit the road. So we start that at 7:30 on Saturday night when the rodeo's going. And we had a sold-out rodeo last night, which was good news for us."
In fact, when the last rodeo events began Saturday night, the exodus by some of the vendors had already begun at the Civic Center. And Sunday, there was no longer the continuous chatter in food court or the sound of auctioneers in the livestock sections. There was still the smell of candied, roasted almonds in the carpeted vendor areas in the middle of the Civic Center. Officials at the Civic Center say they are pleased with the turnout this year, and say good weather during the first and last weekends helped the attendance.
Much the same thing happened last year.Officials say some new innovations have helped to streamline Stock Show events and helped to create a smoother flow of traffic to all of the events. The Event Center at the Fairgrounds was one of those innovations; all making for a successful show. And so the cleanup marks the end of another Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo.
