After a bucking ride before the Planning Commission, rodeo owner Mike Foster found calmer reins Tuesday when the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved his bid to host crowds of up to 1,500.

The new special use permit allows up to 12 events annually. Two events, described as the main rodeo events, may draw as many as 1,500 attendees, while the remaining 10, described as small practice sessions, will remain capped at 500. Conditions include an 11 p.m. curfew, lights out within an hour, a ban on alcohol sales and VDOT-required signage for large events.

The board’s approval came only weeks after a contentious Planning Commission meeting that exposed sharp divisions over Foster’s handling of past permit conditions. Commissioners split 4–3 on whether to recommend the expa

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