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105th Denver Stock Show Gets Under Way

DENVER (CBS4/AP) - Rodeos, fiddle championships, horse shows, art shows, cowboy poetry and bidding in the livestock auction barns are on tap with the start of the 105th National Western Stock Show in Denver.

The show started Saturday and runs through Jan. 23 at the 100-acre National Western Complex in north Denver. Contestants and visitors come from across the country.

The Colorado Rocky Mountain Fiddle Championships is expected to draw hundreds of musicians the first two days. The Coors Western Art Exhibit will feature more than 200 works by 61 artists.

This year's featured artist is sculptor Steve Kestrel, a New Mexico resident whose family cattle ranch also raised and trained quarter horses.

Paul Andrews took over as chief executive officer in November. He used to head up marketing for Kroenke Sports, in charge of selling the Nuggets and Avalanche. He says to go from the court and ice rink to the stock show was easier than he thought.

"I've got professional bulls and bull riders, a lot of great athletes out here at the rodeo," Andrews said. "(It's a) different kind of athlete -- not a lot of tattoos on these athletes but there are some brands."

Animals are definitely the main attraction at the stock show, drawing more than half a million people. The new management hopes to maintain that by making customer service priority number one.

"From the second you shut your door in our parking lots to the second you go home you've had a good time; that's the first focus," Andrews said.

Another goal is to make sure every live event at the stock show sells out. Already on the first day attendance was about 4 percent up from last year. The more people coming in means more money.

"An economic study would suggest that over $100 million of economic impact for the city of Denver," Andrews said. "So it's quite an event as you might imagine."

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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