Her motto has always been safety, safety, and safety!! She realized early on that to create a good rodeo you had to satisfy all groups of people: Contestants, staff, volunteers and the paying audience.

Erin started Rodeo in 1984 at the 1st Texas Rodeo. She was a secretarial volunteer. She went to the Reno Finals Rodeo that wasn’t... She was a Chute volunteer at the following rodeos in Denver and Texas. She continued being a Chute volunteer until she was grandfathered in as a Chute Coordinator. She went to every Rodeo for all the years when there were just 5 Rodeos a year.

Her first Arena Director position was at the San Diego “Rodeo from Hell”, where two serious injuries occurred that required helicopters for transport. But for safety reasons the helicopters were not used and both people were ground transported. She wondered why she wanted to be an Arena Director after all the problems at this rodeo; the Arena falling apart, David Pickle building the arena as it fell apart. Thankfully she gave it another try!

She’s done rodeos in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oklahoma, Texas, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Utah, Minnesota, Washington D.C., Denver, and Albuquerque.

She maintained the San Diego Rodeo trailer for many years. She even learned how to braid the ropes. She came up with the 2 rodeo arena ideas to cut down on the 16 - 18 hour rodeos. She was a contestant once in the early 90’s. She did Steer Deco and got a buckle, Flags and Calf Roping on foot and got ribbons. IGRA #126

She’s been a Rodeo Director and Treasurer for LA and she was also a GSGRA state board member. She was one of the folks that came up with the Rider less Horse Ceremony, fashioning it after the JFK memorial. There were several years early on where she wasn’t an “Official” anything but she was still involved.

Very rarely do you meet someone who has not only had a profound affect on your life, but also on the lives of everyone who gets to know them. Erin Eaton was that someone. She was known by all in rodeo simply as the Arena Director, but she was much more. Over the years Erin was a mentor for many IGRA officials, volunteers and always an advocate for her contestants. Her 20+ years of involvement helped shape gay rodeo. She was a member of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association where she helped organize many of the LA Gay Rodeos. She organized educational events where new contestants could learn to ride and seasoned contestants could just refine their skills. She also held many committee chair positions at the IGRA level over the years.

Erin was always thinking about rodeo and ways to improve it...year round ...she didn’t do rodeos...she lived rodeo. Many years ago it was Erin’s concept and dream to have the Riderless Horse Ceremony to honor those lost. This year, as we have done at IGRA Rodeos for years, we will perform this final farewell ceremony to family, friends and animals. We’ll remember Erin as one of those we’ve lost this past year and honor those who have gone before us.

Erin was truly dedicated to rodeo. She was also so much more, she was a dedicated daughter, partner, parent and friend. She was a women of honor, integrity, and “old time values” that she shared with everyone. I am blessed to have called her my friend and had her in my life. Erin you will be greatly missed. - Sue Downing

Erin to me was Rodeo. She was always there for anyone who needed help. What I remember from Erin is when I first came to IGRA was this. She came up to me introduced herself and said what is your job this weekend. I said, well I am new and I am not sure. I was told to find this guy Aaron and then I would be shown what to do. She then said, well I am not a guy but my name is Erin and I will teach what you need to do. And she taught me everything I needed to know about working on an arena crew.

A couple of years ago Erin retired from rodeo and she came up to me and asked me when I was going to pick a position as an official. We had a nice long talk about the different positions and she told me that I would be working a rodeo one of these days and it would come to me what I wanted to be. A couple of weekends later I was working the Big Horn rodeo as arena crew and got to know some of the judges and I started watching them and what they do. She was right. It hit me. That’s what I wanted to do - be a judge.

The next year I saw Erin at the San Diego rodeo and then she saw me with my judge’s shirt on judging my first rodeo. I went up to her on my break to talk to her. The look on her face and the way she looked at me wearing that shirt was one of the greatest feelings I have had in a long time. That and her saying, I am proud of you. This was the last time I saw her and I am grateful that I got to show her that day how much she impacted my life.

That is how I remember Erin and always will as a big hearted rodeo loving person that would give you the world, but also teach you a lesson at the same time.

Thank you Erin, for everything you did for me and everyone else you’ve touched.- Anthony Ovaldson