"We have made over 100 years of investment in the stock show. It's a partnership that is working," he continued. "We have got to find, we will find, a way to keep the stock show in Denver."

Hancock said more during that speech, but his remarks about the stock show hit home with these movers and shakers -- make that moovers and shakers.

Hancock hadn't even taken office when word came down that Gaylord Entertainment wanted to build a huge, city-subsidized hotel/resort complex in Aurora, and stock show officials said they were eager to relocate -- maybe next door to Gaylord, definitely away from their current Denver digs, which include a century-old arena. Hancock established a National Western Stock Show Working Group to study the situation, and while that group has yet to release its report, yesterday's speech represented a big step forward from the "win-win-win" solution line he offered at the the Metro Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last month. Although the stock show board and Aurora officials are unlikely to agree that keeping the stock show in Denver is a win for them, it sounds like Hancock's ready for a rough ride.

And that's a win for Denver. Yeehaw.

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