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Kiplinger Arena is fulfillment of a dream for McCook cowboy
by Gene Morris

Picture six full-sized basketball courts, placed side-by-side in rows of three. Then imagine the courts being lifted up and placed inside a building with sidewalls spiraling high into the sky. By taking this mental leap, you are experiencing what it's like to step inside one of the largest indoor equestrian arenas in America's Great Plains.

The Kiplinger Arena — which stands prominently at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds in McCook, Neb. — occupies more than 42,000 square feet of open space. That's not only enough to house six indoor basketball courts; it's enough for seating and open areas on the sides.

Go anywhere and you will be hard pressed to find anything that compares with the Kiplinger Arena in size and equestrian focus.

"I'd put the Kiplinger Arena up against any equestrian facility anywhere," says Don Klein, a member of the Red Willow County Fair Board and a close friend of the arena benefactor, Tom Kiplinger.

Klein explains how it all began." The arena dream was born at the kitchen table on the Kiplinger Arena south of McCook," Klein relates." Knowing of Tom's love for calf roping, his mother, Alice, encouraged him to build an indoor facility that could be used year-round by riders and ropers."

Tom took hold of the dream and never let go. "The dream began when Mom and I were making estate plans in the late 1980s," he said.

After his mother passed away in 1992, Tom thought about leaving money to the county for the arena to be built after his death. But two of his closest friends, Trudy Nelson and Klein, convinced Tom to go ahead with the arena project while he was still living.

"Without telling me about it, Don had architectural plans drawn up. He brought them out and tossed them on the kitchen table, and said, "Tom, you need to get this done."

Still, Tom waited. It was Trudy, Tom's long-time girlfriend, who finally convinced him to go ahead with the project. They had been to Reno for the National Seniors Rodeo and were on the way back. After Tom stopped off several times to care for his horse, it became crystal-clear to Trudy: "You love horses, Tom. It's time for you to build that arena."

Tom was seeing the same thing Trudy did. He was finally ready to turn his arena dream into reality.

After that, things happened quickly. Work on the 300-foot long and 150-foot wide arena started in August of 2002 and the massive building was ready for use by mid-March of 2003.

The cost for the original building, $638,000, was paid entirely by a $600,000 contribution from Kiplinger and a $38,000 anonymous gift. Since then, other gifts have pushed the total cost of the facility to more than $1 million.

Has it been worth it? "You bet," Klein said. "The arena has been a God-send for the McCook community and the surrounding area."

Just think about it. With all this space inside, horse, livestock and other functions can take place year-around."

It boggles my mind to think about all the kinds of events which take place in the arena," said Deb Lafferty, who handles arena scheduling. "Not only do we have horse shows and riding and roping events, but the arena has also been used for circuses, concerts, football practices, auctions, lamb and pig sales, farm safety camps, stock dog competitions, cowboy church and 4-H events, such as mutton busting and the kids tractor pedal pull."

For residents of the McCook area, the Kiplinger Arena is an example and an inspiration. Why wait until death to leave a legacy? By giving the arena during his lifetime, Tom Kiplinger has provided thousands of hours of enjoyment and entertainment, not only for his community, but for the entire Great Plains region.

Gene Morris is a freelance writer living in McCook, NE.

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