How the Lazy E Arena Builds Event-Specific Footing for Seven Disciplines With ABI’s SpeedMaster
World-class competitors demand world-class footing. At the Lazy E Arena, that means a full range of ABI equipment and the ability to build ground precisely for every event on the calendar.
The Lazy E Ranch and Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma has been the world’s premier western entertainment facility for 40 years. Dan Wall, Vice President and General Manager since 2013, oversees all administrative operations for both the ranch and the arena and is integrally involved in day-to-day event operations. When he came on board, one of his first decisions was that the facility needed better footing management tools. He reached out to ABI, a relationship that had existed for years, and the partnership has defined how the Lazy E builds and maintains ground ever since. The ABI SpeedMaster is the tool Wall specifically names as central to that operation.
Why a Premier Multi-Discipline Facility Has Different Demands
The Lazy E hosts heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, steer roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping. Each discipline has its own footing requirements. The ground that is right for barrel racing, where horses need traction and purchase for tight turns and explosive acceleration, is different from the ground that is right for steer wrestling or the precision footing that tie-down roping demands. What makes the Lazy E’s operation especially demanding is that these events happen in the same arena, sometimes across consecutive days or even within the same week.
Wall describes the core challenge as building very specific footing directly to each event’s needs in a very tight time frame. Between events, the ground management team has to transform the arena surface from one discipline’s optimal conditions to another’s, without the luxury of extended prep time between events on a busy calendar. The equipment has to be capable, versatile, and fast.
The SpeedMaster's Five-Stage Sequence
Wall walks through the SpeedMaster’s ground preparation sequence in specific terms, describing how each component contributes to the finished surface:
- Ripping: for events where deep, loose footing is needed, the ripping function breaks up and loosens the ground to the required depth
- Hydraulic leveling bar: the hydraulically controlled leveling bar moves footing to fill in holes and correct inconsistencies across the surface, operated from the seat without stopping
- Grooming rods: following the leveling pass, the grooming rods leave a consistent surface texture across the full arena width
- Roller basket: the roller basket applies light downward compression, adding controlled compaction to stabilize the prepared surface before finishing
- Comb finish: the final comb pass leaves the clean, finished surface that competitors and producers expect to see when they walk into the arena
In addition to these ground-engaging components, Wall specifically names the water feature as integral to the operation. Maintaining consistent moisture content is not optional in a high-use arena — moisture affects cushion, purchase, shear strength, and dust. The ability to water and groom in the same pass is what allows the Lazy E’s ground team to maintain consistent footing depth and moisture from the start to the finish of each event and from one day to the next.
The Full Complement of ABI Equipment
The SpeedMaster is Wall’s featured tool, but he describes the Lazy E’s approach as requiring a full complement of ABI equipment to serve the range of events the facility hosts. For a facility operating at the world-class level, no single machine covers every scenario. The Dragmaster handles the heavy renovation and renovation-scale preparation work. The SpeedMaster handles the precise daily grooming and between-event preparation. Wall mentions the range explicitly, from the 16-foot Dragmaster down to the Trevor Brazile E-Series, as evidence that ABI has the right tool for every operation size and every event type.
His recommendation to anyone evaluating ABI equipment reflects how the Lazy E actually uses it: call the ABI sales team, tell them what kind of ground you are trying to build, what size facility you have, what events you are doing, and how big a tractor you have. The answer will be a specific tool recommendation, not a general pitch.
What event producers expect
Wall frames the standard clearly: today’s competitors demand world-class footing. At the Lazy E, that standard is not aspirational, it is the baseline expectation that producers bring when they book the facility and that competitors bring when they enter. A premier western entertainment facility that hosts 40 years of world-class events has built its reputation in part on the ground quality it delivers. ABI’s equipment is what makes it possible to meet that standard consistently across seven disciplines on a year-round event calendar.
The ABI SpeedMaster and the full range of ABI equine arena equipment are available at ABI Attachments. Speak with a Product Specialist at (877) 788-7253 to discuss the right configuration for your facility, disciplines, and event calendar.
FAQs
How should I figure out which ABI tool is right for my facility?
Wall’s recommendation directly from experience at one of the most demanding equestrian facilities in the country: call ABI’s sales team and tell them what kind of ground you are trying to build, what size arena you have, what events or disciplines you are running, and what size tractor you have. ABI offers tools from the 16-foot Dragmaster to compact E-Series models, and the right fit depends on those specific details rather than a general category recommendation.
What range of ABI equipment does the Lazy E use?
Wall describes using a full complement of ABI equipment across the facility’s needs, spanning from the 16-foot Dragmaster for large-scale renovation and heavy preparation work down to the Trevor Brazile E-Series. The SpeedMaster is the primary daily grooming and event-prep tool. The specific combination reflects the Lazy E’s scale and the diversity of events it hosts; no single machine covers every requirement at a premier multi-discipline facility.
How does the Lazy E manage footing transitions between different disciplines?
Dan Wall describes the key requirement as the ability to build very specific footing to each event’s needs in a very tight time frame. The SpeedMaster’s five-stage component sequence, from ripping through leveling, grooming, compression, and finish, allows the ground team to transform the surface from one discipline’s conditions to another efficiently. The hydraulic leveling bar and the ability to adjust component depth and engagement on the go are what make rapid transitions practical in a multi-event schedule.
What does the ABI SpeedMaster's water feature do and why is it important?
The water feature on the SpeedMaster allows the operator to apply moisture to the arena surface during the drag pass rather than as a separate operation. Maintaining consistent moisture content is fundamental to arena footing quality because moisture affects how the ground compresses and rebounds underfoot, controls dust, and determines how the surface holds its finish through a day of competition. Being able to water and groom simultaneously keeps the process efficient and ensures moisture is applied evenly across the full arena rather than in sections.
What is the Lazy E Arena and why does its footing operation matter?
The Lazy E Ranch and Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma is one of the most recognized western entertainment facilities in the United States, with a 40-year history of hosting premier equestrian events across multiple disciplines. It hosts heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, steer roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping, making it one of the most demanding footing management operations in the country. The quality of footing at the Lazy E is part of what makes it a premier destination for both producers and competitors.