Springville Rodeo turns 70 this weekend
Springville locals know that when the Jackass Mail Run concludes in late April, it means that once again “The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West” is only days away, and the tiny foothill town will once again be inundated with cowboys and cowgirls, rodeo fans, bulls, horses, and even a special appearance by a Border Collie-riding cowboy monkey.
The 70th annual Springville Sierra Rodeo will be held this weekend at the Springville Rodeo Grounds, and clear skies are expected for the entire weekend along with high temperatures in the 70s.
“It’s like the start of Spring in a way,” said Greg King, who serves on the Springville Rodeo’s Board of Directors. “The rodeo really brings this community together, and a lot of people come out every year. It might be a small rodeo compared to some others, but it’s the biggest rodeo as far as we’re concerned.”
Rodeo events begin Friday evening with Barrels and Bulls at 7:00 p.m., a motorcycle barrel race at 8:30 p.m., and the Queen Coronation Dance at 9:00 p.m., with music provided by Dakota Drummond.
Saturday’s events begin early with the Back Country Horseman Breakfast at 7:00 a.m., followed by Chicks ‘N’ Chaps at 10:00 a.m., a cancer fundraising event where women will wine, dine and learn about the sport of rodeo from cowboys and cowgirls.
The popular rodeo parade will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Springville Veterans Memorial Building and proceed westward down Highway 190 into town.
King, who is coordinating this year’s parade, said the 25 entries this year will feature fire trucks, royalty from other rodeos, and many other local entries, and local celebrity Brent Gill is once again slated to announce the parade.
Grand Marshals for this year’s rodeo are Dave and Sue Derose, long time Springville residents who have lived and worked in the Springville area since 1976.
“They’re both really good people. They’ve been involved with helping in the community and around the rodeo grounds for quite a long time. Dave and Sue are both very deserving of that honor,” said King. After the parade, things pick up back at the rodeo grounds with Mutton Bustin’ at 3:30 p.m., and a hide race at 5:00 p.m. leading up to the PRCA rodeo and grand entry at 6:00 p.m., where World Champion rodeo announcer Randy Corley, who was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame this year, will return once again to handle the announcing.
King said this year’s rodeo will draw about 100 PRCA participants aiming to earn circuit points and prize money in calf roping, bull riding, bronco riding and barrel racing.
“It’s a very good professional rodeo, and it brings in some very good cowboys,” said King.
Another 100 cowboys and cowgirls will participate in ‘slack’ events that can’t be fit into the evening rodeo Saturday morning.
Saturday’s schedule will conclude with a rodeo dance at 9:00 p.m., with musical entertainment provided by Midnight Wine.
Stock for this year’s event is provided by Four Star Rodeo Company of Cottonwood, California, who are known for having some of the top bulls and bucking horses in professional rodeo.
Sunday is “Tough Enough to wear Pink” day in honor of breast cancer awareness, and events begin early again with the Back Country Horseman Breakfast at 7:00 a.m., followed later by the Cowboy Church Service, where announcer Randy Corley will be the guest speaker.
Mutton Bustin’ begins at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, followed by special events at 1:00 p.m. and the PRCA rodeo and grand entry at 2:00 p.m.
Five young ladies from as far away as Palmdale are running for 2018 Springville Rodeo Queen: Makayla Luchetta of Springville, Marian Williams of Visalia, Rachel Clement of Porterville, Molly Ahern of Palmdale, and 2017 Springville Rodeo Princess Whitney Iskendarian of Visalia.
Mykah Garcia of Porterville and Paige Luchetta of Springville are running for 2018 Rodeo Princess.
During the weekend’s rodeo performances kids 12 and under can participate in longtime rodeo traditions like the Silver Dollar Dig, where contestants are encouraged to dig in the dirt for loot and keep what they find.
Fans young and old will likely get a laugh out of specialty acts like Kenny Petet and Whiplash the Cowboy, who are making their first appearance at the Springville Rodeo this year.
Whiplash, a Capuchin monkey, is the world’s smallest cowboy, and travels the country herding Barbados sheep atop his trusty Border Collie mount named Boogie. He is a three-time Pro Rodeo Entertainer of the Year.
Admission to the Springville Rodeo is $17 for adults and $12 for kids age 6-12. Tickets to just Friday and Saturday night’s dances are $10.