Register File Photos/Jocelyn Sheets Ropin’, ridin’. |
Rodeo is an equal opportunity family sport. Especially at the URA level.
Allen County Fair Rodeo celebrates is 25th run at the Allen County Fair but it is in its third year as a United Rodeo Association (URA) rodeo. It is also sanctioned by the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association (MRCA).
Tonight is the first performance of the two-night rodeo at the Lyle Dreher Roughrider Arena on the fairgrounds in Riverside Park. The arena was renamed after one of Allen County Fair Board Members, Lyle Dreher, who spearheaded bringing a rodeo to the fair.
Performances are at 8 o’clock nightly at the arena. Tickets for each performance can be purchased at the gate for $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-10. Children under 5 will be admitted free when with a paid adult.
Men, women, boys and girls will be competing throughout each night’s performance. And both nights will have some of the top contestants in the 2010 URA standings in nine events.
Those nine events are bareback bronc riding, calf roping, Over40 calf roping, breakaway roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, women’s barrel racing, team toping and bull riding.
Six Crowns Rodeo Company of Lincoln, Mo., is the stock contractor for the event providing the rodeo’s rough stock.
Brandon McLagan of Lone Jack, Mo., is the rodeo announcer. Six Crowns is bringing Lucas Little and Paxton Vroman as bull fighters and Dusty Myers of Jumper Town, Miss., as the rodeo clown.
In breakaway roping, which can have women, girls and boys competing in it, the fourth-ranked roper in the URA is Kristen Krull and she competes tonight. Last year’s Allen County rodeo winner in the event was Katy Hartness, who competes Wednesday night.
Barrel racing is the fast-paced “girls” event and tonight’s group as Dani and Anna Bagshaw of Chanute — two up-and-coming young ladies in the event. Also Lindsey Krause, who is ranked fifth in the URA.
On Wednesday, rodeo fans will see the top two ranked barrel racers in the URA — Stacie Coke and Lindsey Leverington. Plus five-time URA barrel racing champion Missy Bennett will compete. Bennett sits seventh in URA ranking.
For the men, calf roping is a competitive event. Jesse Hinkle is ranked first in the calf roping event in URA and he’ll ride and rope tonight. So will eighth-ranked Kwincy Kile.
Wednesday’s calf roping ground has last year’s Allen County rodeo winner Dustin Jilek, who was the 2008 URA champion. Also going is the URA 2009 champion Wenton Reiter. Trey Johnson of Humboldt will rope Wednesday and he is an up-and-coming young roper.
In the Over-40 calf roping, Gene Crouse and Tim Kraus are ranked second and fourth in the URA. They’ll throw rope on Tuesday. Wednesday’s competition will have the three-time URA champion Bryan Reiter, who also won it here last year, and 2006 URA champion John Johnson.
Actually the top four placers here last year in the Over-40 calf roping are back and roping Wednesday.
In bareback bronc riding and bull riding tonight, Tanner Rankin goes. He was second in both events here last year. Luke West is second-ranked in the URA in bareback.
Wednesday features the Allen County winner of last year Justin Williams in bareback and the 2009 URA champion Billy Griffin. Saddle bronc riding champion Jake McKellips rides Wednesday.
A young local bull rider, Zack English of LaHarpe goes to the bucking chutes Wednesday.
The top steer wrestler in the URA in 2010 is Wes Huff and he goes tonight. As does sixth-ranked John Rickner.
Top team ropers are set to go both nights.
