Rodeo features full slate of events

By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

The romance of the Old West is coming to Pike County this weekend via young rodeo riders.

The Cattlemen’s

Park on highway 231 south of Troy will be the site of the first high school rodeo on this season’s circuit and as many as 300 cowboys and cowgirls are expected to compete.

B. B. Palmer, public relations coordinator for the Pike County Cattlemen’s Association, said having a high school rodeo at the arena is a dream come true for the Cattlemen.

"When the Cattlemen were making plans to build a park with an arena we hoped to be able to host Alabama high school rodeos," Palmer said. "Many high schools are now including rodeo as part of their sports programs and that is increasing interest of young people all across the state. We hope that by bringing high school rodeos to Pike County, more of our young people will get involved. It’s a great sport and it’s a family oriented sport. Parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, the whole family often travels with these young people. There are some mighty fine youngsters who compete in rodeo."

Palmer said the cowboys and cowgirls earn points which will hopefully earn them a berth in the state finals.

"The top four in the state finals held in Montgomery each year will go on to compete in the national finals, which have been held in Illinois the past few years," Palmer said.

This weekend’s Alabama High School Rodeo will get underway at 8 a.m. Saturday with the junior division rodeo.

"These young people do an outstanding job in the arena and we encourage everyone to come out and support

them," Palmer said. "On Saturday afternoon, we will have slack for the Alabama High School Rodeo and the first high school rodeo performance will be at 7:30

p.m. Saturday night.

The events will include bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, team roping, goat tying, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, bull riding and pole bending.

"We’ll have a full slate of events and I know everyone will be impressed by the skill and enthusiasm of these young people," Palmer said.

Slack for the high school rodeo will be held again at 8 a.m . Sunday followed by cowboy church at 11 a.m.

"We invited

anyone who would like a cowboy kind of worship experience to join us for cowboy church," Palmer said. "Duran Burton will sing, Shannon Allen will give her testimony and Amy Persons-Parks will bring the message. It will be a very impressive and meaningful service."

The second and concluding performance of the high school rodeo will be at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The gates will be open all day and hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, snack items and drinks will be available.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

"We hope everyone will come out," Palmer said."It’s great entertainment at a good price. Come enjoy the rodeo and see our new facilities. We can promise you a good time."