A dedication and grand opening of the Rose Andrade Correia Stadium was held Monday at the Honokaa Rodeo Arena, home to one of the oldest rodeos in Hawaii, according to Hawaii County.
The celebration of the $3.1 million project included a blessing by Deacon Larry Ignacio and a presentation by the Andrade family. The facility is named for lifetime Honokaa resident Rose Andrade Correia, a member of the Hawaii Saddle Club who helped develop the vision that led to the construction of the Honokaa Rodeo Arena.
The covered 1,200-seat Rose Andrade Correia Stadium replaces old bleachers that were exposed to the elements. The project also included replacement of the comfort station and judges’ stand, improvements to the pavilion, a new concession stand, and ramps and parking spaces to make the facility fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Among the first people to ride in the new arena was Leiana Rose Andrade Stout, 13, who showed her skills running around barrels on her horse Piko. She is the great-granddaughter of Rose Andrade Correia.
“My great grandma didn’t do this for her,” she said. “She did this for me, and my children, and my grandchildren. I think she would be pretty proud.”
Construction was done by Site Engineering Inc. and Goodfellow Bros. Inc. The consultant was Inaba Architecture.
The dedication and opening blessing included calf roping, barrel racing and entertainment from the Honokaa Senior Club. It kicked off Honokaa Western Week. The rodeo arena’s first event will be the 58th Hawaii Saddle Club Scholarship Rodeo on Sunday and Monday, which will include more than 350 contestants from Hawaii and the mainland.