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Events emphasize ranch life
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By Bob
Morris,
Sports
Editor
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• Mon,
Jun 21,
2010
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It’s a rodeo that emphasizes ranch life.
The fourth annual Harding County Ranch Rodeo will take
place July 24 at the Harding County Fairgrounds in Roy.
The event will start at 10 a.m.
The first ranch rodeo was organized by Steve and Jaree
Elliott, but when they moved from Roy to the Clovis
area, Stacie and Al Martinez of Roy took charge of the
Roy event. Jaree Elliott said the Martinez family helps
her family organize another ranch rodeo in Clovis, while
the Elliotts continue to help Stacie and Al.
“It tends to be more of a family-oriented event,” Jaree
Elliott said. “It’s more typical of what goes on at a
ranch.”
Events include sorting, cow milking, branding, trailer
loading and doctoring of animals. For example, the
sorting event sees several different animals released
into the arena, with teams required to sort them based
on the breed of animal.
Each ranch rodeo team has four members, which Elliott
said is about the equivalent of a typical ranch crew.
She noted teams can have members young and old alike.
She said the team members tend to be from the same
family, thus young and old alike participate, performing
the activities they would typically do on the ranch.
“During the branding event, we’ve had five- and
six-year-olds doing the branding,” she said. “One of the
ranch team members we had was in his late 70s or early
80s.”
Along with the ranch rodeo, there will be an open bronc
riding event. The rodeo starts with a series of bronc
riding, followed by the ranch rodeo itself, then a
second section of bronc riding.
Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children. This
year’s Harding County Ranch Rodeo will have 15 teams,
plus 20 riders in open bronc riding. While entries are
full for the ranch rodeo, more entrants are sought for
the bronc riding, for which the entry fee is $150. Along
with the rodeo, there will be vendor booths available,
as well as a concession stand provided by 4-H.
Cash prizes will be awarded for the top ranch rodeo
teams and open bronc riders, plus belt buckles will be
awarded to the first-place team and riders. There will
also be awards for winners in individual ranch rodeo
events.
Last year’s rodeo drew about 450 people. Elliott said
there have been people who have made their way to Roy to
see what it’s all about and “they tell us they’ll be
back every year.”
Anyone who wishes to participate in the bronc riding,
would like to set up a booth or simply wants more
information about the event, may call Stacie Martinez at
641-0020 or 799-0555.
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