No Longer Holding Their Horses

BOOKS OPEN SUNDAY FOR RODEO

LINCOLN — Hold the horses no longer, let ’er buck, the 65th annual Lincoln Rodeo is ready to rip Aug. 9-11 at the Lincoln Riding Club Arena one mile west of Lincoln.

The event had to be postponed from the originally scheduled dates of May 17-19 due to heavy spring rains that saturated the grounds and transformed the parking area into a swamp.

Drill Team

After three months of literally holding their horses, the Lincoln Riding Club precision drill team known as ‘the Regulators’ are chomping at the bit.

Current members of the Regulators (range from 13 to 50 something in age) are: Marlana Edgmon, coach/line leader; Hannah Sanders, coach/line leader; Megan Anderson, coach; Amber Durham; Judy Gail McNeely; Dianna Lynn; Kylee Bobacher; Amanda Waters; Amber Hutchison; Fannie Davenport; Seirra Davenport; Tabby Peyton; and Matti Turn. Three sponsor

riders: Madeline Davenport, Cara Parret, and Chyenne Caldwell, also appear with the Regulators.

They haven’t exactly been idle.

The Regulators have appeared in rodeos at the Colcord, Okla., June 1-2; and Owasso, Okla. June 8-9. Last month, the Regulators performed July 13-14 at the Lavaca Rodeo and July 20-21 at the Muldrow, Okla., Rodeo held at Garrison Creek Arena and appeared in the parade. Next week, they are scheduled for performances at 8 p.m. each night during the Lincoln Rodeo and will take part in Saturday’s parade.

“We are so excited our home rodeo is almost here since we had to postpone our rodeo until August this year,” said Edgmon, who also serves as Lincoln Riding Club secretary/reporter. “We have performed in rodeos in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. We represent the Lincoln Riding Club wherever we go with pride.”

Royalty Pageant

Part of the event is an ongoing royalty pageant throughout the rodeo week.

Presiding over the rodeo are the 2017 LRC royalty including: Queen Shayla Fox, Junior Queen Alexis Arnold and Princess Olivia Moody. The 2018 Lil’ Mister and Lil’ Miss contest begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at the Lincoln Square downtown followed by a street dance from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. featuring music by Howard Lester & the Boston Mountain Playboys.

A speech and modeling competition will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, the final day of the rodeo at the Lincoln Farmer’s Co-Op. Interviews of individual royalty candidates will immediately follow the conclusion of the speech and modeling competition.

Two cowgirls are vying for Miss Lincoln Riding Club rodeo queen: Hannah Taylor, of Fayetteville, who finished as first runner-up in 2017; and Kylee Bobacher, of Westville, Okla. In the running for junior queen are: Judy Gail McNeely, of Westville, Okla.; and Mika Arnold, of Lincoln, younger sister of reigning LRC junior queen Alexis Arnold. The princess competition will be decided between: Chloie Thomas of Farmington; Brooklyn Teague of Siloam Springs; and Emily Burke of Watts, Okla.

The royalty competition will be completed with a coronation at the start of Saturday’s performance on the final night of the Lincoln Rodeo on Aug. 11.

Books Open Sunday

The 2018 Lincoln Rodeo will feature three performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 9-11. Performances will showcase the American Cowboys Rodeo Association (ACRA)/ International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) sanctioned competitions in bareback, bull riding, saddle bronc, tie-down roping and steer wrestling, plus team roping, cowgirl barrel racing and cowgirl breakaway roping.

According to the IPRA website promoting the Lincoln Rodeo, cowgirl breakaway roping has $500 added money with a $65 entry fee while cowgirl barrel racing also boasts $500 added money with a $70 entry fee. Team roping has $1,000 added money with a $100 entry fee. Total added money for the Lincoln Rodeo is $4,500 with a $15 stock contractor fee.

Slack time will be conducted after the Thursday and Friday performances. This year’s stock contractor is Blisard Rodeo Company. Books open Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. and close the same day at 9 p.m. The call-in phone number is 918-697-8979. Permits, locals and youth cards will be accepted.

Competition will be held in an outdoor arena at Lincoln Riding Club Arena, one mile west of Lincoln on U.S. 62. Junior and Pee Wee barrels will run nightly. For more information call 479-422-1215.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Jerry Casey, also known as “The Sarge,” rodeo clown for the 64th annual Lincoln Rodeo, rescued a junior cowboy, whose stick horse was going the wrong direction on May 17, 2017. The 2018 Lincoln Rodeo co-sanctioned by the ACRA and IPRA starts at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, and runs through Saturday.