75th anniversary
Silver Spur Rodeo marks milestone
When the Silver Spur Rodeo saddles up this weekend it will be with special significance: The 75th anniversary of the professional rodeo in the community and its parade.
In honor of that milestone, theme for this year’s rodeo and parade is “Gateway to the 75th: From Dirt to Diamonds,” selected to “showcase the western heritage we hold so dear here in Yuma and with our rodeo,” said Peggy Collins, spokeswoman for Silver Spur Rodeo Inc., the non-profit that oversees the event. “This rodeo is the longest-running event in our community.”
The parade will take place on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on the North End of Yuma. The staging area will be on the dirt lot on Maiden Lane off Giss Parkway. From there, the parade will head north on Maiden Lane to 2nd Street, turn west onto 2nd Street and proceed to Main Street, then south on Main Street to Giss Parkway, where it will turn south onto 1st Avenue to Orange Avenue and end at 7th Avenue.
“We would like the community to come out and enjoy the parade celebrating our 75th year in the Yuma community,” Collins said. “We have worked tirelessly with the city on this new parade route. It is shortened this year so people need to make sure they are sitting in areas
the parade will actually be coming down.”
Performances of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned rodeo take place Feb. 7-9 at the Yuma County Fairgrounds. Gates open two hours prior to the performances each day to give attendees time to shop in the vendors’ area and grab a bite to eat from food vendors.
“We have quite a variety of food vendors for 2020 so there should be something for everyone to enjoy,” Collins said. “There is also a kids’ area with climbing walls and jump houses.”
Friday gates will open at 2 p.m. with the performance starting at 4 p.m. This is Senior Day and Man up Crusade Day to bring awareness to domestic violence. Attendees are asked to wear purple to show their support.
Saturday gates will again open at 2 p.m. with the performance starting at 4 p.m. This is Tough Enough to Wear Pink Day, sponsored by Wrangler. Tough Enough to Wear Pink is a program in the PRCA for breast cancer awareness, Collins explained. Attendees are asked to wear pink to show their support.
Sunday gates open at noon with the performance at 2 p.m. This is Military Appreciation Day and RAM Rodeo Day. “We ask that attendees wear red, white and blue to show their support for the community’s military,” Collins said.
“When people come to the rodeo, we want to provide them what they expect to see at a rodeo, all the events such as barrel racing, team roping, bronc riding and bull riding,” she said. “But we also want to provide them entertainment they may not expect. Each year we look to bring in some of the topnotch entertainers in the PRCA. This year we have done just that!”
The rodeo will feature the 2019 Coors Man in the Can, “Backflip” Johnny Dudley, and Bobby Kerr, 2019 PRCA Specialty Act of the Year.
“These two gentlemen are the best of the best and we are proud to have them coming to the Yuma Jaycees Silver Spur Rodeo,” Collins said.
Not only does Yuma’s rodeo provide an opportunity for participants to compete while providing three days of fun and entertainment for residents, it also has a long-standing tradition of helping support the community.
“All funds raised remain in our local community,” Collins said. “We support other local non-profits by providing them with free vendor space to showcase what they do in our community as well as making donations to some of the non-profits.”
Collins noted that the rodeo is dependent on volunteers “to help us put this huge production on each year. All of us who are members of Silver Spur Rodeo Inc., the non-profit the rodeo event falls under, are volunteers. We do not get paid for doing the rodeo, we do it because we love rodeo and the western way of life. We are proud to be able to bring an event of this magnitude to our community each year. I don’t think people realize the work and dedication it takes to put on a three-day rodeo, but it is a year-long process and takes a lot of dedicated people as well as the support of our local businesses and government.”
Collins concluded: “The members of Silver Spur Rodeo Inc. would like to thank the Yuma community for their support each year for this rodeo. With the continued support of the Yuma community, we will bring the sport of rodeo and entertainment for many more years to come.”
For more information, visit www.yumarodeo.com or call (928) 344-5451.