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Community Corner

DJJD: Rodeo Promoter Enjoys His Annual Trek to Northfield

Jim Sutton has been bringing his rodeo to Defeat of Jesse James Days for more than 20 years. Along the way, he has formed friendship with a number of locals.

Jim Sutton continues to make his annual trek back to Northfield for two reasons: producing the rodeo and meeting up with old friends.

Both, he said, are near and dear to his heart.

Sutton and members of family-operated Sutton Rodeo Inc. have attracted residents to to witness professional rodeo—a sports that’s unfamiliar to many in this part of the country—for more than 20 years.

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While his shows have turned many Northfielders into rodeo fans if for only one weekend a year, Sutton said he has formed bonds of friendship here than couldn’t be separated by the wildest bucking bronco or meanest bull.

“It’s like we come back year after year to meet with our friends,” he said.

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Among his longtime friends in Northfield is , leader of the .

Sutton and DeMann shared a table at this week’s , held at the . And similar to Sutton’s annual trip to Minnesota, DeMann regularly takes his gang to visit Sutton and his rodeos in South Dakota.

“Chip is the first person I met in Northfield,” Sutton said. “And, I continue to see him every year.”

Take a look at the Sutton Rodeo schedule, and it’s fair to say that Northfield is off the company’s beaten path. This year, DJJD’s rodeo is the only produced by Sutton east of Brookings, SD.

But that isn’t bad, Sutton said.

“This is a good rodeo, and we always have visions of getting more people here,” he said. “This is the biggest rodeo in this neck of the woods.”

Sutton Rodeo Inc. is based in Onida, SD. The company produces most of its rodeos in South Dakota.

While the DJJD rodeo has proven to be a good draw over the years, weather plays a looming role in attendance, Sutton said. For instance, last year, rain kept the audience count low in the 2,500-seat open-air arena Friday. Better weather on Saturday led to record crowds.

“We had to turn some people away,” he said. “We don’t like doing that.”

In past years, Sutton also produced rodeo shows in St. Paul and at the Minnesota State Fair.

“But I like this rodeo because of the excitement of this town,” Sutton said. “I like this celebration (DJJD) because you can walk everywhere. You have the activities downtown, and you have the carnival and car show over there (in and parks). It’s good for everyone.”

Three sessions of the rodeo are scheduled this weekend: 8 p.m. Friday and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, head to the Sutton Rodeo, Inc., website.

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