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Most all red-bloodied Americans have a little cowboy running through their veins.

At the Pike County Cattlemen’s Ranch Rodeo at Cattleman Park Friday and Saturday nights both cowboys and rodeo fans had ice running through their veins.

“Oh, it was cold, real cold,” said Pike County Cattlemen B.B. Palmer. “The wind died down a little on Saturday night but it was still cold. We sold a lot of coffee and hot chocolate at the concession stand both nights. But there just wasn’t anything we could do about the weather.”

Palmer said, even with the cold weather, the Ranch Rodeo was a success.

“The Ranch Rodeo was held in memory of Cattleman Jack Davis,” Palmer said. “He was such a big part of all that we do and we wanted to remember him and all that he did in support of the Cattleman and the rodeo.”

Palmer said the Cattlemen would have liked to have had bigger crowds but those who came saw a very competitive Ranch Rodeo.

“We had 14 teams and the teams really challenged each other in each event and the Ranch Rodeo was entertaining for the rodeo fans,” he said.

The Ranch Rodeo featured five events including stray gathering, branding, sorting, trailer loading and wild cow milking, which, like bull riding, kept rodeo fans in the stands until the very end.

The Saturday Ranch Rodeo also featured a chuckwagon beginning at noon with five chuckwagons participating.

“Each wagon served plates with a stew, bread and dessert and you won’t get any better trail food anywhere,” Palmer said. “We appreciate the participation of the chuckwagons from the Cowboy Church of Lee County in Waverly; Burning Bush Cowboy Church, Brundidge; 3S Cowboy Church, Enterprise, Mississippi; Lookout Mountain Cowboy Church, Collinsville; and Trading Post Cowboy Church, Woodville. We thank them for coming.”

Palmer said the Wester Festival on Saturday afternoon provided a lot of cowboy kind of fun for the kids and their families.

“It was a cold Saturday afternoon but we had a good number of kids to participate in roping steer heads, riding stick horses and shooting targets,” Palmer said. “Of course, mutton bustin’ is the bull riding of the Western Festival and that was fun for the kids and fun to watch.”

On behalf of the Pike County Cattlemen, Palmer thanked all the cowboys who competed, those who brought chuckwagons and all the rodeo fans who braved the cold weather to support the Ranch Rodeo.

“We thank everyone who worked to make the rodeo a success and a special thanks to our sponsors for their support,” Palmer said.