The fifth annual Lincoln County Fair and Rodeo is less than two weeks away, and plans are in full swing. The addition of air conditioning in the new exhibit hall is highly anticipated and ready to use. “We now have climate control,” said Jule Wadsworth, Chairman of the Fair and Rodeo Committee.
New to this year’s rodeo is the Ranch Rodeo, sanctioned by the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association (WSRRA), offered on Thursday, Aug. 8. Teams of four can be made of men or women, or mixed, and will be competing for points performing ranch-style duties while being timed.
Team sorting involves separating numbered cattle from the herd. Team doctoring will see the competitors roping numbered calves and marking them with a color stick, to portray that calf as having been taken care of. Team branding will have the wranglers tying down a calf and marking it witha branding iron covered in paint. The trailer race involves crews trying to load stock into a trailer. Cattle are numbered, and teams will rope and separate their numbers into a trailer for time.
There’s also a Jackpot ranch saddle bronc. Entrants use normal saddles for this event, and have one arm tied down. The other hand however, is not required to stay off the horse or saddle, so riders don’t have to keep their arms up. Wadsworth said, “It’s just as much fun as the regular style rodeo because the horses love to buck.”
Also new this year are the addition of the Mud Bog race and the antique tractor pull Saturday afternoon. All locals are welcome, although quite a number of participants are expected from Cedar City. To enter the tractor pull, tractors must be manufactured before 1964. A sled will be attached to the trailer, and weight added over a distance.
Wadsworth said, “We’re always interested in volunteers,” for those who are interested in participating to help organize and be involved in events.
The deadline is fast approaching for registration for some of the events. Entry forms and contact information, as well as the rodeo schedule, can be found in the free fair and rodeo handbooks located at most local retailers. The four-day long rodeo is packed with events for the whole family. Grab your boots and spurs and saddle up, because it’s time to go to the rodeo!
