When Michael Langhorne first arrived in Rifle 25 years ago, the community looked a lot different.

“There were mostly rowdy bars, pawn shops and boarded-up buildings,” he said. “But one of the great things about small towns is that if you show up, put in the work and care, you can actually make a difference.”

That belief — and years of following through on it — is exactly why Langhorne was selected as the 2025 Garfield County Fair and Rodeo grand marshal.

The longtime president of Bookcliff Survey Services Inc., Langhorne is stepping into retirement this year after a career that shaped not just infrastructure, but the civic and economic direction of Rifle itself.

“Michael has been a pillar for the business community in Rifle,” said Clint Hostettler, a Rifle City Councillor and board member with the Colorado River Valley Chamber. “When his name came up to potentially be a grand marshal, it was kind of a no-brainer.”

Langhorne and his wife, Tracey, landed in Rifle after years of traveling the West, installing cell towers from the Bay Area to Seattle. They were weighing options — Montrose, Fort Collins — when a friend encouraged them to take a chance on Rifle. Tracey had a feeling it was the right move.

“I wasn’t fully convinced at first,” Langhorne said. “But once we started meeting people here, we realized this was the place. It turned out to be a great town for a business — and an even better place to raise a family.”

They opened Bookcliff Survey Services on East Third Street, where it still operates today. Langhorne immersed himself in community work, helping guide Rifle through years of revitalization and regional cooperation.

He served 17 years as president of Rifle Regional Economic Development Inc., eight years on the Downtown Development Authority board, two years as president of the Rifle Chamber of Commerce, and helped found the New Ute Theater Society. Along the way, he played a role in projects like the Brendan Theatre, the Rifle Co-work space and the Colorado River Valley Economic Partnership, which unites Rifle with neighboring towns on shared economic goals.

His service has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2008 Oran Harmon Person of the Year, the 2013 Downtowner of the Year Governor’s Excellence Award, and the 2024 John B. Scalzo Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado River Valley Chamber.

Still, Langhorne is quick to point to others.

“None of this happens alone,” he said. “It’s about collaboration, teamwork — people showing up. I’ve been fortunate to work with folks who cared as much as I did.”

Saturday’s parade brought back memories of earlier fair days, when the Langhornes attended each year with their daughter, Sophia. Tracey, a lifelong gardener, once won a blue ribbon for braided homegrown garlic. Now Sophia is an English teacher at Coal Ridge High School — and expecting her first child this month.

“In those early years, we never missed it,” Langhorne said. “Time just moves fast. But it all comes back around — especially with grandkids.”

Langhorne rode solo in this year’s parade — his family was at the baby shower — in a vintage Mustang arranged by the Rifle Chamber of Commerce.

As he steps away from board work and into retirement, Langhorne said he and Tracey will keep their home in Rifle while spending more time traveling. And though his official roles are winding down, his belief in the town’s future hasn’t changed.

“It’s time for some new, younger people to step up and take on some of these roles,” he said. “We’re ready for the next adventure — but Rifle will always be home.”