
DAYTON RODEO GRAND MARSHALL
Rob Lauer name 2023 Dayton Rodeo Grand Marshall
A lifetime of rodeo led the Dayton Rodeo Celebration Committee to select Rob Lauer as the 2023 Grand Marshall.
Lauer’s has been rodeoing since he was a child, falling in love with the sport when he was only five years old. His parents—Mary and Donald Lauer—were very active in the Dayton Rodeo and, in this case, the apple didn’t fall far from the rodeo arena.
The Lauer family (Mary, Donald, Rob, and brothers Gene and Keith) lived on a farm on Highway 169 in Clay Township.
Lauer had more success than many small town cowboys. He even rode bulls in the National High School Rodeo Finals in Hot Springs South Dakota in 1960. After mastering bull riding, he moved on to steer wrestling.
Lauer graduated from Callender High School in 1962. He began work with the Webster County Road Department as a heavy equipment operator in 1966 and held that job for an impressive 57 years.
Rob married wife Joan in 1968 and the couple made a home on the family farm north of Lehigh. Son Patrick was born in 1969. In 1981, they moved to their current home in Lehigh and Rob’s parents moved to the farm. As an adult, Lauer was a member of the Dayton Rodeo Celebration Committee for over 25 years.
Lauer in a country boy at heart. Even his hobbies involved farms and rodeos. “I enjoy working on my farm. I also enjoy going to farm machinery and household auctions. I watch rodeos on Cowboy Channel and RFD when I have time,” he said.
He concluded by noting it was “an honor “ to be named Grand Marshall.
Partial List of Past Grand Marshalls
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1976: Les Danielson
1977: C.D. Lindstom
1978: Fred Schwendemann
1979: Claude Helms
1980: Eva Haub
1981: Vern Danielson, Duane Vegors, Allen Porter
1982: Don Lauer
1983: Mr. and Mrs. Harold Williams
1984: Mildren Vegors
1985: Russell Hanson
1986: John Campidilli
1987: Allen and Esther Porter
1988: Gordon and Clarice Lundberg
1997: Dick Chinburg
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2000: Kenny Schlief
2001: Jonathan Anderson
2002: Wayne Newholm
2003: Dwight and Phyllis Kinsey
2006: Wayne Tell
2007: Bob and Colleen Bass
2008: Leonard and Marilyn Anderson
2009: Marty and Jerry Paullin
2010: Edna Will and Rose Challgren
2011: Doug and Duan Boker
2012: Allen Porter
2013: John and Cindy Haub
2014: Leonard and Marilyn Anderson
2015: Imogene Hanson
2016: Lynn Schlief
2017: Norm and Deb Vegors
2018: Gordon Lundberg
2019: Earl Hanson
2021: Rob Scott
2022: Brent and Barb Sandholm
2023: Rob Lauer