Cowboys and cowgirls are saddling up for the next stop on a world championship rodeo circuit: the Cumming Fairgrounds.
For the past 11 years, the covered arena has housed an early round of the annual spring International Professional Rodeo Association, which culminates with January championships in Oklahoma City.
Cumming Fairgrounds Administrator Dave Horton said he expects a “great turnout.”
“With kids being out of school and a lot of people staying close to home with the economy, I think lots of folks will show up,” Horton said.
The event features bull riding, bare back riding, barrel racing, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping and saddle bronc riding. It runs from 8 to 10:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Horton said. “It’s non-stop action. There’s something going on throughout the entire event.”
Pam Treadway couldn’t agree more.
“It’s a pretty action-packed weekend,” said Treadway, who coordinates operations for Ken Treadway Rodeo Co., based in Laurens, S.C.
The company runs the show and brings in most of the event’s livestock including bucking broncos and bulls. Treadway said she expects more than 200 contestants at this year’s rodeo, nearly doubling last year’s numbers.
“I can contribute that high number to fuel prices being better than they were last year,” she said. “A lot of these contestants, they haul from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania ... they come from all over.
“When you get fuel prices as high as they were last year, they aren’t going to travel as far from home,” she said, adding that participants in timed events such as calf roping haul their own livestock.
Treadway’s business provides animals for the “bucking stock events,” which means two semi trucks full of horses and bulls travel from Laurens, S.C., to Cumming.
Ken Treadway Rodeo Co. also provides entertainment between competitions. A Roman Riding team—two horses running in synchronization, while a man stands on their backs — and a rodeo clown are planned for the shows.
Treadway said Roman Rider Justin Dickerson is a talented individual.
“I’m gonna tell you,” she said. “Your heart is just in you’re throat when you’re watching him.”
E-mail Frank Reddy at frankreddy@forsythnews.com
For the past 11 years, the covered arena has housed an early round of the annual spring International Professional Rodeo Association, which culminates with January championships in Oklahoma City.
Cumming Fairgrounds Administrator Dave Horton said he expects a “great turnout.”
“With kids being out of school and a lot of people staying close to home with the economy, I think lots of folks will show up,” Horton said.
The event features bull riding, bare back riding, barrel racing, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping and saddle bronc riding. It runs from 8 to 10:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Horton said. “It’s non-stop action. There’s something going on throughout the entire event.”
Pam Treadway couldn’t agree more.
“It’s a pretty action-packed weekend,” said Treadway, who coordinates operations for Ken Treadway Rodeo Co., based in Laurens, S.C.
The company runs the show and brings in most of the event’s livestock including bucking broncos and bulls. Treadway said she expects more than 200 contestants at this year’s rodeo, nearly doubling last year’s numbers.
“I can contribute that high number to fuel prices being better than they were last year,” she said. “A lot of these contestants, they haul from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania ... they come from all over.
“When you get fuel prices as high as they were last year, they aren’t going to travel as far from home,” she said, adding that participants in timed events such as calf roping haul their own livestock.
Treadway’s business provides animals for the “bucking stock events,” which means two semi trucks full of horses and bulls travel from Laurens, S.C., to Cumming.
Ken Treadway Rodeo Co. also provides entertainment between competitions. A Roman Riding team—two horses running in synchronization, while a man stands on their backs — and a rodeo clown are planned for the shows.
Treadway said Roman Rider Justin Dickerson is a talented individual.
“I’m gonna tell you,” she said. “Your heart is just in you’re throat when you’re watching him.”
E-mail Frank Reddy at frankreddy@forsythnews.com