Amy Parsons: Hi. I’m Amy Parsons, president of Colorado State University and host of “The Next 150 podcast.” We have so many remarkable people in our community, and this is where we’re going to hear their stories, we’re going to get their perspective on CSU’s next 150 years and gather their very best advice for today’s CSU students. Let’s get started, Rams.

Hi, everyone, and thanks for joining us for this episode of “The Next 150.” As you can see, we are on the road today. We’re in the beautiful Legacy Building at the National Western Center, which is just adjacent to the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center, and I’m joined by none other than the president and CEO of the Stock Show, Wes Allison.

Thanks, Wes, for being here.

Wes Allison: Yeah, Amy. Welcome home—

Amy Parsons: Yeah.

Wes Allison: —is what we are saying here in the Legacy.

Amy Parsons: Thank you.

Wes Allison: Our new home and a new home for everybody that is connected to Stock Show.

Amy Parsons: Can’t wait to see this hopping during Stock Show. And congratulations, by the way, on your new role as president and CEO of National Western. What a time to come into this role, right? When you open up these new buildings and so much excitement around the National Western. Talk to us about this building that we’re in right now, the Legacy Building. It’s just absolutely gorgeous.

Wes Allison: Yeah. So our world headquarters and located right here at Main and Main across the street from the Spur. And so we’re so excited about the location and the opportunity. But this building truly becomes a home for our membership. It becomes an opportunity for us to advance our mission and programming when we have things like the World Heritage Center or the Wilson Art Gallery. We’ve got a beautiful new National Western Club to enjoy. And it truly has that Western vibe, but also that Colorado Mountain Lodge vibe. And so we’re so excited to really show off this unique space and give us a home 365 days a year, not just 16 in January.

Amy Parsons: Yeah. Do you have enough bars in this building?

Wes Allison: Only eight, so I’m not sure. You can go from 1860s saloon to the one we’re sitting in now here in the lounge. And so yeah, if you have a problem finding a drink, then call me. I’ll take care of you.

Amy Parsons: That’s on you. That’s on you.

Wes Allison: That’s on me. Yeah, for sure.

Amy Parsons: Yeah, if you can’t find it.

Wes Allison: Yeah, yeah.

Amy Parsons: So we at CSU have been looking forward to this for so long. As you mentioned, we’re sitting here right across the street from our three CSU buildings that have been open, but now this is the first year where all four corners of this intersection will be open. And it’s adjacent to the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center, which is also a spectacular facility. So talk to us about what’s going to happen in the Livestock Center this year.

Wes Allison: Yeah. So I think the transformation of not going to the hill anymore and being down here by the yards, and just the opportunity to be in that brand new space, 175,000 square feet of cattle and swine and sheep and goats and all those fun things. And then the CoBank arena, that 3,500 seat arena, not as nostalgic and cool as the stadium arena, but very cool and modern and innovative in its own way. We have suites in there. So it is going to be a great showcase for where we will showcase our livestock, using innovation in there too, because we’re actually not putting dirt on the floor. We are using turf just like in-

Amy Parsons: Really? Wow.

Wes Allison: -the stadium in Fort Collins. So it’s a little shorter pile, and we don’t have the black BBs in there, but yeah. So branded turf, have the NW on it. So something in the industry that we’ve all been working on because of air quality and things like that that we need to do for not only our exhibitors, but our livestock, and so that’s really important to us.

Amy Parsons: Oh, that’s fascinating. Well, you know you talk about innovation and tradition. That’s really what the National Western is all about. National Western is such a tradition here in the West. And of course here in Colorado and in Denver, it’s been on this site for over a century. CSU’s been a partner with National Western for over a century. So talk to us a little bit how you balance the tradition of the National Western, and what’s so important about maintaining the tradition, balanced with the innovation of what you were just talking about is going to happen with livestock this year.

Wes Allison: Yeah. So I think it’s really important to our industry as a whole, but for us here at National Western, we have to think about it from protecting our traditions, right? Those things that we know and hold dear to our heart and things that… We are the only place that has the yards, right? There’s not another stock show in the world that has the yards like we do. You can’t bring a load of 10 bulls in here anywhere else and show them like you do here.

Wes Allison: So we hold onto those traditions that tie us back to agriculture, tie us back to our roots, and then we want to deliver it in a modern way. We want to make sure that when we have new facilities for exhibiting animals, that we are giving the best opportunity for our breeders and producers to be here and be able to showcase their genetics. And so that’s really where… You know, it’s roots, either way. And so that’s where we want to be innovative. These spaces here in the Legacy will allow us to expand our offerings when we talk about genetic sales and all of the things that happen now on the internet, with sales that happen, auctions that go on. And so we’re going to really embrace those opportunities here.

Wes Allison: And then, isn’t it really cool that we can be partners on things, too, here? I mean, there’s no other place, that I’m aware of, in the entire country, when you talk about stock show grounds, that has a university like CSU sitting here as our partner, and has been since you won the first steer show in 1906.

Amy Parsons: That’s right. It’s a really important history, I think, for us both.

Amy Parsons: Well, Wes, what do you think is going to be your favorite day at the Stock Show?

Wes Allison: Yeah, so that’s a little hard to say because I haven’t been here since I was like 11. But for me, I think my favorite first day will be January 10th, opening day, just because I’m ready to start. Been here seven months preparing for this. Staff’s been preparing all year for it. And so to be in all the new spaces and the new layouts and teach people how and where they need to go and give new directions, and the fact that Spur’s going to be inside the fence this year, and truly part of Stock Show, it’s… Yeah, let’s just get it rolling. Let’s get started. That’s going to be my favorite day.

Amy Parsons: Well, I have to say, it’s a bit of a trick question because your favorite day is going to be CSU Day at the Stock Show.

Wes Allison: Yeah, exactly right. Yeah. So yeah.

Amy Parsons: That’s our favorite day.

Wes Allison: Oh, that’s right. Mm-hmm.

Amy Parsons: And we have a tradition of it being the biggest day at Stock Show, when it’s CSU Day, because our students and our faculty and our alums really come out for it.

Wes Allison: Everybody comes.

Amy Parsons: So we’re really excited for CSU Day.

Wes Allison: Yeah. Do you give off class that day for-

Amy Parsons: No, we don’t.

Wes Allison: -for that, like they did in the old days?

Amy Parsons: It is Saturday.

Wes Allison: I know. That’s a trick question too, right?

Amy Parsons: But you’re right. And we also used to give students train tickets, because there used to be a passenger train from Fort Collins down to the Stock Show, so everybody could get down here. So I’d like to bring that back too.

Wes Allison: Yeah, that would be cool.

Amy Parsons: Get a passenger train, get everybody on the train coming down here. So CSU Day is going to be really exciting. And we have a lot of events around CSU Day: alumni events, livestock leader events, our beef club event, alumni, activities, all that. So we’re super excited about that.

Amy Parsons: So you mentioned you haven’t been here since you were 11 years old. So let’s talk a little bit about your journey to being the president and CEO of the Stock Show, born and raised as a Texan, I believe, making your way to Colorado. Take us through those sort of like early years and how you eventually made your way to Colorado.

Wes Allison: Yeah. So I grew up in the Panhandle of Texas, a little town called Stratford, about 80 miles north of Amarillo, closer to Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Mexico state capitals than I was to Austin, which is just fine with me as an Aggie. And so yeah, so I grew up here, so my dad was a county extension agent. So I’m an extension kiddo, grew up that way, love and appreciate the land-grant institutions and the education throughout the state and all those kind of things. And so we came here because it was just the right… It fit good for us to come and show at Denver, and came here as a kiddo and played in the yards and probably did things I shouldn’t have done, and remember going to the hill and then coming back here and showing.

Wes Allison: And as we grew older and things, sports got in the way and different things. And so we continued to show, but then we started spending more time going to the Houston major stock shows. And so, was a county extension agent in the Panhandle after I graduated from A&M. So I actually brought 4-H-ers here in the pig show, and so I have that connection back that way. So I guess it’s not really 11. Eleven since I’ve been showing here, but yeah. And so we’ve had that connection. I’ve just had that roots here.

Wes Allison: So for me, having gone to… The Houston Livestock Show is kind of where I started my career 25 years ago, and in the livestock show world. I believe that, for us, as stock shows, we are the tip of the spear when we talk about that rural-to-urban connection. We’re the vision that says, “Hey, your milk doesn’t come from King Soopers. It comes from a cow.” The things that certainly Spur does on a daily basis, we just concentrate for 16 days, and we’ll expand that to the other 349.

Wes Allison: But for me, moved from Houston to Waco, Texas. I have a strong equestrian and livestock background. And so the really neat facilities there in Waco had opened new equestrian facilities. And so about 1000-plus stalls, three arenas. So, that’ll look very similar to what we will build here in the next couple of years and be ready for the ’29 Stock Show, as we look at the Equestrian Center coming online.

Wes Allison: And so those things were just, you know, we raised our family in Waco. I’ve got two grown daughters. It was just one of those deals that we never thought we would leave Waco. And then I get an email about Paul’s retirement, and from the firm looking for his replacement and asking if I would be interested. And so I actually took a screenshot of it. My wife’s a school administrator, so I took a screenshot, sent it to her and said, “Hey, you want to move to Denver?” And she was like, “What are you talking about?” And I was like, “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

Wes Allison: So we get home, we talk about it. And she knows National Western, she knows Denver. We’ve come here off and on throughout our lives skiing every year. It’s usually here or New Mexico, right? Colorado skiing’s better. But anyway, so she’s like, “Like, THE National Western?” I’m like, “Yes.” She’s like, “Denver, Denver?” I was like, “Yes, Denver.” She’s like, “What are you going to do?” And I said, “Are you moving to Denver?” She’s like, “Heck yeah, let’s go.”

Wes Allison: So empty nesters, being able to do what we wanted. For me, Denver represents one of the four big stock shows in the world. And you have us, you have Fort Worth, you have Calgary, and you have Houston. All four of those shows came online for different reasons. National Western and Fort Worth are most closely tied to the cattle industry and the shipping industry, and livestock in general from a processing standpoint. And so it’s a cool deal to be a part of this and just be here and really enjoy seeing where we are as we’re kind of, if you will, we’re having a rebirth, right, for the stock show here. It’s brand new facilities, it’s brand new opportunities, it’s ways that we can increase our impact on the state of Colorado, it’s opportunities abound. So it’s a journey that I’m very humbled by that I have had these opportunities, but very excited to lead this group and this organization into the next 120 years.

Amy Parsons: Well, we’re also excited to have you here, and I can just picture your wife doing that. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your wife and having her up on campus before, and just so happy that that was your reaction to this opportunity. And obviously go way back with Paul Andrews and had great leadership here at the Stock Show for so long, and you’re coming in line with some really great leaders for National Western and for Colorado. You talk about the future of the industry and where we’re going with stock shows. How do you see that, and rodeo, and these events, and the future of those? You’ve joined us in Fort Collins for PBR events in the summer do huge turnouts, and such a positive reaction to bringing those events into CSU. And how do you see the future going in this industry?

Wes Allison: Yeah. So I think as we look at our industry, if you split it into stock show and then you split it into kind of entertainment, right? Rodeo is entertainment. It’s a professional sport, just like PBR, right? We have PBR here, just like y’all do up there. I think that when we look at the stock show side of things and we really talk about what’s our job and what are we doing. And so we’re giving an opportunity to showcase genetics. I see that as we go through our open side of things and really working with those producers is it’s expensive, and they need those opportunities to showcase those genetics. It still means a lot in our industry to win a banner from Denver, and it’s important. But I think one of the things we have to do is be very innovative about the ways we give them opportunities to showcase that genetics, to sell those genetics worldwide, right?

Wes Allison: We need to be those places where they can reach the international audience. We need to be those places that they can be innovative about their sales and marketing techniques and all those kind of things. So I really see that for us from an open livestock side, those producers, how we do that. The big thing that we need to do in the industry as a whole and that we’ve done since the beginning is support youth and support the youth livestock programs, because that’s the next generation of agriculturalists, and we need to make sure we’re doing those things to support them. And so, whether that’s our junior livestock auction or our new supreme heifer drive that we will showcase females for the first time in the rodeo, female genetics of cattle, that we’re going to pick the Supreme Champion overall, top five actually in the industry, which is not something that normally happens.

Wes Allison: And so we’re excited to do that because we also have that obligation to connect those students, those families from our rural audiences to our urban audiences. And so that’s what 4-H and FFA does. We need to be supporters there, obviously, however we can. And so I think that’s really important. On the rodeo side, we continue to develop that wonderful product that is entertainment, because let’s face it, we all want to wear a cowboy hat, right? We all want to be a cowboy in some way. I mean, most people grew up in there when it was something that you wanted to be. And with “Yellowstone” and things like that, that reinvigorated the cowboy way, our Western heritage, our Western values, those kind of things are super important. So I think it’s our job to share those.

Wes Allison: And I think there’s a real authenticity with everything we do surrounding the Stock Show. And that’s the important part, right? We are giving you an authentic experience. It’s entertainment. We’re going to force a little education on you while you’re here, and then you can eat anything you want because calories don’t count at the Stock Show. That’s the main point.

Amy Parsons: In January, calories don’t count.

Wes Allison: In January, they don’t count. So yeah.

Amy Parsons: Yeah. I’m pretty excited about the calories coming. I’ve been hearing about the food that’s going to happen in this building. I’m pretty excited.

Wes Allison: Yeah. It’s going to be cool, because you just have… Even in all eight bars, there’s a theme to drink there, right? We are going over the top with everything we’re doing to create the greatest experience a customer will appreciate. That’s the fun thing about coming to Stock Show this year. You may not know where everything is and it may not be exactly where it was the last time you’ve been here, but the exploration of the new facilities and the opportunity to see all the things and experience new things will be so fun for our fans.

Amy Parsons: People are going to be blown away this year, I think, to see this building, to see the new setup. We’re excited to be inside the fence. And you mentioned authenticity. It doesn’t really get any more authentic than this. And National Western has been on this site for over a century as the city has grown up around it, as CSU has come in with our new buildings. And that’s what’s so special about it, right? Is that pairing of that tradition, that authenticity, with the innovation that you’re bringing to Stock Show. It’s really exciting. And that rural and urban divide, this is a physical bridge, right here-

Wes Allison: Yes, right here.

Amy Parsons: -at National Western, at the Spur campus, that I think can’t be replicated anywhere else in the country. And I really appreciate your background in extension in 4-H and FFA. You’re obviously speaking our language as the land-grant institution and at CSU. So how do you see that relationship between the Stock Show and CSU unfolding in the future? What more can we be doing together to really bring in that element of education?

Wes Allison: There’s such a strong presence of CSU education, right? Like the school tours and the things that working with the Humane Society and what you’re doing there to really give that authentic experience in watching surgeries happen from behind the glass, so to speak. And so, I think those things and the ways that we can work together to create this campus of innovation, but also this campus of learning that extends to all our buildings. Wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, I think that’s where our staffs have to be creative, and we have to look for new ways to deliver a message that we have carried the flag of agriculture for years and years. And so, how we support Extension, and even if it’s the State 4-H Dog Show being here on the campus or things like that that we can do from our side to be a great partner.

Wes Allison: It’s not just during 16 days, it’s how do we fill the other 365 with educational opportunities? Part of our programming that we’ll start working on is looking at Western Art 101. What does it mean to collect Western art? Or if it’s… We actually did that at Hydro this year, right? And so we’ve done those things that we can spread out. We have such great space to utilize that we’ve just never had access to. And that’s the fun part.

Amy Parsons: Yeah. I have to ask you about the art, because the gallery downstairs in this building is spectacular. And to be able to see that on full display, can you talk just a little bit about what people are going to be able to see during the Show from an art standpoint?

Wes Allison: Yeah. So for the first time ever, our collection of about 33 pieces will be on display in one space, one public space, a space that everybody can go see in the Wilson Art Gallery. And then we also have a traveling exhibit, some exhibits we borrowed this year for Stock Show that is a history of Western art in Colorado from the 1800s to present day. And so, very generous donors that have helped us work through that program to create that space in the art gallery. And then, of course, in the American Values Conference Center on the second floor is where we’ll have Coors Art and Young Guns, and over 400 pieces of art there that will be for sale will be a part of our show. The history of 33-plus years of doing this is amazing because, again, there’s not another show in the country that has taken on this role of embracing the Western art world, those young collectors, those seasoned collectors. There’s something for everybody.

Wes Allison: And so I think that’s really cool for us because, again, as we look to the future, how do we use the gallery to create opportunity for folks to come to our campus? We want them to come out here, we want them to explore CSU Spur buildings, we want them to come over here and explore the Heritage Center and the art gallery, and go by the saloon and have a beer as well, a Coors beer.

Amy Parsons: Yeah. A Coors beer, yeah. The Coors Art show and Young Guns. That’s one of my favorites. And we always look forward to seeing what’s new, and to be able to see it in this building and have that experience, we’ve been waiting for this for so long. It’s going to be spectacular this year. People are going to absolutely love it, and to be able to see it all year, as you said. And that’s one of the reasons why we, CSU, built these buildings here is to have this year-round presence at National Western. That’s just going to continue to grow. We’re not done building yet on this site, right?

Wes Allison: Right.

Amy Parsons: So this year, everyone gets to experience the Livestock Center and the Legacy Building. What’s coming next for Stock Show?

Wes Allison: Yeah. So in the first quarter, kind of probably in March, we’ll break ground on the Equestrian Center, 750-plus stalls, a 5,000-seat arena that will compliment the CoBank Arena over here next to our building and in between us and Livestock Center. We’ll build a parking garage that will be there to serve our entire campus year round. It also is made for dually trucks, so that makes it good for our equestrian exhibitors and our livestock exhibitors. And so that facility, coupled with an on-campus hotel, right? So the vision of seeing all this come together as we do this, and we’ll be ready for the ’29 Stock Show in the Equestrian Center, those are amazing things because not only do you and I sit at the corner of Main and Main, but then we create this wonderful plaza of all this activity that can bring in community events, can bring in folks from all over the camp, all over the country.

Wes Allison: If you just look at the 16 days, there’s almost $180 million in economic impact. We have an opportunity to completely blow that number out of the water. With our work with our friends at the authority, they’re booking a nationwide volleyball tournament for select volleyball. If that’s going on, we’re showing horses in one side, already working with some of our national cattle associations to bring their junior nationals back to Denver. Haven’t been here in many, many years. So there’s an impact. I get to impact four-legged animals on this campus. We’ll let the authority take care of the volleyball girls and boys. So it’s great, because we get to focus on what our history is, and what our roots. Again, it all goes back to that mission, vision, values of what we’re doing and where we’re going.

Amy Parsons: And that’s all going to happen just right out here, right?

Wes Allison: Right here. Yep.

Amy Parsons: So ’26, work’s going to be underway on that, to be finished in …

Wes Allison: ’28. Late ’28, we’ll open in ’29. The Equestrian Center should be open for the Stock Show in ’29, and then-

Amy Parsons: Amazing.

Wes Allison: -we’ll get to go develop the triangle as partners as well, and see a new Denver Coliseum be built. And I think the really cool thing is, if you think about the gathering that happened, in fact, we have a commemorative tie that we did with Rockmount, and a commemorative scarf, that’s called, The Gathering. And you think back to 2014 or before when all this was talked about. You know, we’re going to move Stock Show out in Aurora, we’re going to move it to the Eastern side, we need the space, we’re going to do all those things. The gathering of folks that came together led by Mayor Hancock and said, “No, you’re not. We’re going to invest in this place.” And when people around the world say, “Oh, you’re in Denver, right?” They don’t invest in agriculture. They don’t believe in what we do. It’s wrong. There’s a billion-and-a-half dollars invested in this campus to showcase agriculture.

Amy Parsons: That’s right.

Wes Allison: And to create a community space that fills holes and gaps that are already in Denver, that’s amazing for us. It is such a cool time to be a part of this and see where things can go.

Amy Parsons: There’s nothing like it.

Wes Allison: Nope.

Amy Parsons: There’s nothing like it in the country. You can’t replicate it.

Wes Allison: Nope.

Amy Parsons: You talk about authenticity, the history on this ground and what it’s becoming, there’s nothing like it in the West or in the US anywhere. We’re so privileged to be a part of it and to be partnering with you on this, and to be able to really focus on that education and the roots of Colorado State as Colorado A&M, as our Aggie roots, as the land-grant institution, this is our mission and this is really where it comes together.

Amy Parsons: So let’s talk a little bit about our students, and maybe some advice that you have for students at Colorado State University. We are responsible for bringing in the next generation of students going into the livestock field, going into the shows, going into agriculture, all different types of aspects around agriculture, and that’s why we’re here. Hopefully the students who someday will be leading the National Western. What advice do you have for students who are just starting on their journey, who might want to go into the show industry, the livestock industry, into agriculture? What advice would you give those students starting on their journey?

Wes Allison: Yeah. Well, first don’t limit yourself to just thinking it’s cows, plows, and sows, right? It’s so much more than that in the innovation and agriculture that we have that you all have at CSU and the great things that you’re doing, the great work that you have there. I think there are opportunities that you have to look at how do you impact agriculture, right? It may not be that you’re getting up every morning and putting out hay for cows, right? But there’s a way for you to impact that right here locally at all the stock shows and what we’re doing and how we’re doing this. And so be willing to dream, right? Be willing to look at this about… You know, I am a part of something that is the education of an urban audience.

Wes Allison: Those kind of things, those opportunities, those ways to be innovative about how we deliver that message, we use all the same technology, right? We have apps. We do all those kind of things here at Stock Show, right? It’s a little bit of education. It’s a little bit of entertainment, so we call it edutainment. And so there’s opportunities to do that. You can get down and dirty. You can be a part of our livestock team. You can be a part of a livestock team at stock shows all over the country, right? If that’s where your passions lie, then you have those opportunities. We see opportunities in the equestrian world especially, because we see that there’s a gap there, in the industry where we need more strong, young professionals that are willing to go and be supportive of the equestrian industry and be a part of it on our side, right, developing shows, building new ways to do things, working with our breed associations.

Wes Allison: It’s all very important to what we do, and so there’s plenty of opportunities to be a part of these organizations. And the cool thing is a lot of those are our scholarship winners, right?

Amy Parsons: Yeah.

Wes Allison: We’re supporting them through y’all.

Amy Parsons: Yes.

Wes Allison: We’re doing those things. We’re looking at how can we continue to give you opportunities as a young person to develop those skills and the things you need to be a part of this organization or to be a part of any organization in the industry when we talk about stock shows. They’re not going away. It’s too much tradition, right? There’s too many people that would carry the flag to not, down the hill, to not let these happen forever and some.

Amy Parsons: And not just the shows, but agriculture in general. And at CSU, our agriculture college is growing. The number of students who want to go into agriculture, equine, veterinary medicine continues to grow, and students from both urban and rural backgrounds coming into it, because just what you said, the innovation, the technology that’s happening in this space is amazing. The ability to be able to affect the world, to really make a meaningful change out there in people’s lives is real in these areas. And we’re seeing that students really want to be a part of that.

Wes Allison: Yeah. The authenticity of “we are feeding the world” is real, and there is an opportunity for all those students to be a part of it.

Amy Parsons: Yeah. Well, this is where a lot of those students are going to get their inspiration coming through the Stock Show as 11-year-old kids, coming through as 4-H, as FFA members, getting inspired here through CSU and through the Stock Show. So, thank you for what you do. And again, congratulations on being the president and CEO. Couldn’t be more excited about the direction of this partnership and what we’re going to be able to see in Stock Show this year.

Wes Allison: Absolutely. Thank you for taking time to visit with me.

Amy Parsons: Well, thank you. Thank you. And remember, best day at Stock Show.

Wes Allison: CSU Day.

Amy Parsons: CSU Day.

Wes Allison: I will wear my alfalfa and pumpkin that day.

Amy Parsons: Thank you.

Wes Allison: So yes.

Amy Parsons: So will I.

Wes Allison: I’ll be happy to do that.

Amy Parsons: We’ll match. I appreciate you.

Wes Allison: That’s right.

Amy Parsons: All right.

Wes Allison: Good. Thanks.

Amy Parsons: Thanks for your time, Wes. Thanks, everyone. Go Rams!

Amy Parsons: Thank you for listening. I’m Amy Parsons, president of Colorado State University, and you’re listening to CSU’s “The Next 150,” where we explore what comes next for CSU by chatting with change makers who are already leading the charge and shaping our next 150 years. I’m gathering their very best advice for today’s CSU students. Stay tuned to wherever you get podcasts for our next outstanding conversation. Go Rams.