Cheyenne Frontier Days Names New Committee Chairs

Cheyenne Frontier Days has named it's new General Committee Chairs for 2026, according to a news release.

Hans Ritschard Named General Chairman

The CFD Board of Directors has named Hans Ritschard  as the new General Chairman. According to the release:. "Ritschard is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who now directs improvement work at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. He served as Military Chairman from 2014 to 2016 and was a member of the CFD Board of Directors from 2018 to 2024, including two years as board chairman." 

Ritschard replaces John Contos as General Chair of Cheyenne Frontier Days.

The release quotes Ritschard as saying “It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve Cheyenne Frontier Days as the next General Chairman,” General Chairman Hans Ritschard said. “It is also humbling to succeed those leaders who have built such a strong foundation. St. Bernard of Chartres compared us to dwarves perched on the shoulders of giants. He said that though we might see more and farther than our predecessors, it is not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted and held up by their giant size. I would like to thank outgoing General Chairman John Contos, along with Chairmen Woody Acord, Jason Bain, Byron Matthews, and Jim VanCise for their longstanding dedication and commitment to our organization.”

The other new committee chairs include:
-Richard “Bull” Singhas, the new Parades Chairman. Singhas is a construction manager for the U.S. Air Force. Singhas has served on the Parades Committee for 21 years. He was named Volunteer of the Year in 2014.

-Jenny Lakin is the new Concessions Chair, Lakin is a manager of provider relations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming. "She has volunteered on the Concessions Committee for 17 years. Lakin was named Concessions Committee Volunteer of the Year in 2014 and was inducted into the HEELS in 2021."

-Jimbo Tanner is the new Rodeo Chairman. According to the release Tanner is the general manager at B&W Glass Inc. He has volunteered on the Rodeo Committee since 2003, was named Rodeo Committee Volunteer of the Year in 2014 and was inducted into the HEELS in 2016

Cheyenne Frontier Days is the world's largest outdoor rodeo and draws hundreds of thousands of people to Cheyenne and Laramie County every July. It's financial impact on the Laramie County economy has been estimate at $50.4 million.