Rising Up
Alumnus Levi Rosser's 17-Year-Old Senior Project Finally Takes Shape
BY JO ANN LLOYD
The hay barn and livestock cover on Cal Poly’s rodeo grounds might appear ordinary; however, its completion is remarkable for many reasons.
It’s a labor of love almost 20 years in the making. Its final cost — $250,000 — is a fraction of the original $1.2 million estimate. It broke the mold on how facilities get built on California State University (CSU) campuses.
The over 11,000-square-foot structure keeps the hay, grain and practice stock dry and out of unpredictable weather conditions. “Previously, keeping animals happy and commodities dry had been difficult,” Rodeo Coach Ben Londo (Construction Management, '07) said. “Building a barn had been a priority since the rodeo facility was moved in 1999.” Back then, Levi Rosser (Agricultural Systems Management, 03) — a third-generation Cal Poly rodeo athlete whose grandfather, Cotton Rosser (Animal Science, ’52) started the university’s rodeo program wrote his senior project on building a barn. But the project languished.
“When the rodeo grounds were moved, there was no promise it would be permanent,” Londo explained. In 2012 it was deemed a permanent facility, and preliminary work to make it a reality began, but roadblocks kept cropping up.
Undeterred, Londo and the Rodeo Boosters developed the first donor-developed model to build a facility on a CSU campus. “We developed a legal agreement in which the boosters leased one acre of land from Cal Poly for the duration of the project. During that time, the boosters pushed and managed the entire project,” Londo said.
The long-awaited project was completed in February — by the same individual whose senior project was the catalyst for the barn: Levi Rosser.
Londo, who as an undergraduate had roomed with Rosser, asked him to design a structure and throw his name in the hat. Rosser owns Rosser Enterprises, which specializes in metal building construction.
Rosser, his father, alumnus Lee Rosser (Agricultural Business Management, '75), and a small cadre of workers came to campus to build the barn. “This was my senior project 17 years ago,” Rosser said, “and it was great to be the one to build it. The Cal Poly Rodeo program is the best in the country, and we want to keep it that way!”
Londo added, “This project has come full circle. It's a win for Cal Poly, the rodeo program and the CSU system.”
From Concept to Reality — Thanks to Fans and Friends
Cal Poly Rodeo's new hay barn and livestock cover are now a reality, thanks to the generous support of numerous fans and friends.
Members of the university’s Rodeo Booster Board — including Jeff Sparrowk, Leeann Bettencourt, Carla Young, Thomas Switzer, Chris Niederhauser, Thane Prichard, Leah Cochrane, Erin Clendenen and Coach Ben Londo, as well as honorary advisors to the board Randy Arseneau, Joanie Ketcham, Kathy Loftus and JoAnn Switzer — extend a heartfelt thank you to the following individuals and businesses for their contributions to improve the Cal Poly Rodeo grounds. The new addition is the largest capital improvement project to the rodeo grounds to date.
Special thanks go to the “Big Three” who helped complete the final push for donations: Ray and Ginger Bunnell, Jean and the late Manfred Sander, and Jim Roberts.
The rodeo team also acknowledges Robert Camacho of RRM Design, Rob Down of Earth Systems, and Star Building.
The boosters also want to recognize the Constructors Team: Ken Dewar of JB Dewar, Alec Garcia of Garcia & Sons, Tom Maino of Maino Construction, Cal-Portland, Air-Vol Block, United Rentals, Mid-State Concrete Products, Famcon Pipe, Negranti Construction, Rosser Enterprise, Central Coast Barns & Buildings, and Coast Pipe.
This barn and cover would not have been possible without the coordinated effort between the Rodeo Boosters and its partnership with Cal Poly’s dedicated staff.
Read more in the 2020 Rodeo Newsletter