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The Pike County Cattlemen’s Association will bring the excitement and fun of a Ranch Rodeo to Cattleman Park Friday and Saturday nights.

Each night the Ranch Rodeo will feature stray gathering, branding, sorting, trailer loading and wild cow milking, which is the bull riding of rodeo.   

As added attractions, the Cattlemen will host a chuckwagon beginning at noon on Saturday and the Western Festival for kids at 5 p.m. at the arena.

“If you like rodeo or think you might, Cattleman Park is where you’ll want to be on Friday and Saturday,” said Cattleman B.B. Palmer. “Noon on Saturday is a good time to get a ‘taste’ of what rodeo is like. We’ll have five chuckwagons at the park and the cowboys will be cooking the meals just like they were cooked on the Old West cattle drives.”

Palmer said the “cookie” was the most important man on the cattle drive.

“Cookie would go ahead of the drive and have food prepared when the cowboys arrived at the campsite,” Palmer said. “Usually, it was iron pot of stew. And, that’s what the chuckwagons will be serving at Cattleman Park on Saturday.”

Each chuckwagon will feature a stew, bread, cobbler/dessert and bottled water.

“We’ll start serving at noon. Tickets are $10 and the “grub” will be worth every penny of it,” Palmer said.

Another special event of the Ranch Rodeo will be the mutton bustin’ and calf scramble for kids at 5 p.m. Saturday. The gates will open at 4 p.m.

“Mutton bustin’ is the little folks bull riding and they love it,” Palmer said. “They like trying to grab a ribbon off a calf’s tail just as much. The Pike County Cattlemen invite parents to bring their kids to participate or just be a part of the rodeo experience.”

Gates for the Ranch Rodeo will open a 5 p.m. on Friday. Rodeo time is 7 p.m. nightly.

Advance Ranch Rodeo tickets are $10 and are available at Don Walker’s Western Wear, Troy Bank & Trust main bank, Brundidge Piggly Wiggly and Banks Buy Rite. Tickets at the gate are $12. Ages 12 and under are admitted free.

Ranch Rodeo sponsors are Floyd Tire and Auto, The Printing Press, Stevens’ Body Shop, Preston’s, Spring Hill Baptist Church and Pinckard Pastures.