Family and friends gathered around the Lane Frost statue at the Clovis Rodeo Grounds last Saturday February 11th to celebrate the installment of Corrie Echeverria’s dedication plaque.
Echeverria passed away last year, and is survived by her father and four sisters.
She is remembered fondly by her fellow Clovis Rodeo Association (CRA) Members, especially by the women involved in running the Tom Stearns Pavillion on the west side of the arena.
“Corrie loved the Clovis Rodeo and came to all of the work days,” CRA Member Carole Linenbach said.
Linenbach remembers when Corrie first began her volunteering for the Rodeo Association, “In the early 2000’s Billy Hedrick introduced her to Caryl DeRade who was the committee chairperson for the Tom Stearns Pavillion, and the rest is history.”
During the show, Echeverria could be found in the Pavillion, but she also had a hand in events, parade planning, and merchandise.
“She was always the first one to arrive for any event, and the last one to leave when everything was finished,” Linenbach recalls, “and she always had a kind word to say, loved to laugh, and she loved animals as much as she loved people.”
Echeverria was known for her love of animals, and could often be heard talking about the baby goats she had at home.
“Corrie was an important and dedicated member of the volunteer team in the Tom Stearns pavilion every year at the Clovis Rodeo,” CRA Member Micheline Golden said, “She was a bright light in the suite, and we loved to hear Corrie tell us about her goats and her dogs. She was an important part of the Clovis Rodeo Suites family, and she will be missed.”
Corrie Echeverria’s memorial plaque is on the south side of the platform under the bronze sculpture of famous bull rider Lane Frost, just outside the gate to the Clovis Rodeo Grounds.