Staff Writer

The first Alabama High School Association Rodeo held at Cattleman Park Saturday and Sunday was a great success.

B.B. Palmer, public relations representative for the Pike County Cattlemen’s Association, said there were more than 700 entries in the rodeo with 250 cowboys and cowgirls participating in the junior and high school divisions.

"We had a large number of participants in all events and we were especially pleased with the number of junior cowboys and cowgirls who participated in slack Saturday morning," Palmer said. "The junior rodeo is for kids kindergarten through eighth grade and those kids feed the high school rodeo. It was great to see all of them out there. They were cute little young’uns. They all had a good time and we had a good time watching them."

Palmer said the high school rodeo was a great event and the Cattlemen expect to have many more high school rodeos at Cattleman Park.

"We had participants and their families from all across the state," Palmer said." Events like this will have a big economic impact on the county and they will also introduce these young cowboys and cowgirls to Troy State University and perhaps interest them in becoming members of the Troy State University Rodeo Team ‘Buckles, Boots and Books.’"

Troy State University had a booth and cowboys and cowgirls filled out survey lists prepared by the university, Palmer said.

"Definitely, there were those interested in attending TSU and being a member of the rodeo team," Palmer said. "The spark was started and, hopefully, it will flame up and interest a lot of young people in getting into rodeo."

Palmer said rodeo is a great sport and interest in it is growing, especially in the South.

"It’s a family oriented sport," he said. "In football, it’s the coach out there telling the players what and how to do. In rodeo, it’s daddy and mama and grandmama and granddaddy telling them how. It involves the whole family. It was so good to see all those young’uns out there at the rodeo this weekend. We had a good crowd of spectators. too. And,

Cowboy Church Sunday morning was well attended. It was a good weekend."

Palmer expressed appreciation to all those who supported the Alabama High School Rodeo through sponsorships and those who worked so hard to make it happen.

"We had many people who asked us to have another high school rodeo before June," Palmer said. "And, if there is any way possible, we are going to do it. The rodeo is good for all of us and it’s great for Pike County. "