Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Cash That Rain Check
LINCOLN — Rodeo fans and participants eagerly anticipating the 65th annual Lincoln rodeo had to take a rain check when a wet spring forced the event to be rescheduled.
The rodeo was set back three months with about a week to go before the originally-scheduled dates of May 17-19.
“We really didn’t have a choice,” said Lincoln Riding Club Secretary/ Reporter Marlana Edgmon.
Rainfall turned the parking area into a swamp. LRC members knew they would not be able to park spectators let alone contestants pulling heavy horse trailers laden with stock. Advance tickets had already been sold, many by competitors in the LRC royalty pageant to meet participation requirements.
To address this logistical challenge and accommodate rodeo fans, who had purchased tickets, Lincoln Riding Club selected new dates and rescheduled the rodeo for Aug. 9-11, 2018. LRC issued a release on its website in May assuring fans that advance tickets sold with May dates on them will be honored.
Among performers slated to appear were the Regulators, Lincoln Riding Club’s precision drill team which performs on horseback. According to Edgmon, the Regulators were formed in 2013. Noting the Regulators take pride in having difficult and fast-paced routines that keep the crowd on their toes. Edgmon, who is part of the group, explained the Regulators had to sort of reset their internal clocks and keep an eye on the big picture.
The Regulators redirected their energy and maintained a positive outlook. Speaking for LRC, Edgmon said club members, including the Regulators focused on being excited that instead of being canceled, the rodeo was moved back to August with hope for a much larger turnout from both spectators and contestants.
Edgmon affirmed diligence of LRC’s work behind-the-scenes, saying, “Our board has worked very hard to make this the best rodeo so far.”
Still, 2018 marked the second consecutive year dates for the Lincoln Rodeo shifted. For several years the rodeo was held the first or second week of June, but in recent years those dates conflicted with other rodeos in which club members wanted to participate so a change was made to May. Then came the rains and another switch to Aug. 9-11.
According to longtime LRC member, Louie Guess, 85, of Lincoln, who founded the inaugural street dance associated with the rodeo in 1967, moving the rodeo to August is taking things back to the way they used to be.
“They’re going back to the old time,” Guess said. “That’s the way it used to be in August. They’ve probably had eight to 10 Lincoln Riding Club rodeos in August.”
As dates for the rodeo once again draw near, anticipation is building among the Regulators.
“We are so excited our home rodeo is almost here since we had to postpone our rodeo til August this year,” Edgmon said. “We have performed in rodeos in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. We represent the Lincoln Riding Club wherever we go with pride.”
Among this year’s performances, 2017 LRC junior queen Alexis Arnold will sing the National Anthem during the 65th annual Lincoln Rodeo on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018.