Local rodeo finals held this weekend
Published 9:52 pm Friday, March 15, 2013
The Bulls and Barrels Finals are this weekend at the Dallas County Horse Arena. Come out Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. to watch area youth ride bulls and compete for a top spot. –Ashley Johnson
Spectators at the Dallas County Horse Arena had to take a step back from the arena fence while large dominating bulls huffed and bucked up dust and threw off miniature cowboys and girls off their backs Thursday.
The Alabama Youth and Junior Bull Riding Association is hosting a rodeo for the third day in a row at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The rodeo is the world finals event for youth and junior bull riders, so whomever wins in Dallas County on Sunday at 2 p.m. will likely compete in the USA World Championship Bulls and Barrels Finals.
“The kids are so motivated this year,” Jimmy Boswell, sponsor of AYJBRA said, “This is the best thing that ever happened to them.”
Several of the categories have Dallas County residents at the top of the leader boards such as the Junior Bulls competition with Josh Jeeter in first and the Senior Bulls division with Hunter “Bobo” Davis in first. Contestants are competing from all over the south and the nation, including states like Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas.
Some of the bull riders are as young as six.
Even though the crowd dwindled on Thursday, Boswell said he expects anywhere from 400 to 1,000 spectators Friday through Sunday for the remainder of the event. He said that is how many usually come to these events but said Dallas County residents need to, “support this more because this is something we do for Dallas County.”
“If we can get some more people to learn about this and to just come out and see it, then it would help us tremendously,” Boswell said.
He explained that the bulls this weekend are some of the, “top bucking bulls in the whole nation,” and that they are not the average bulls seen at rodeos across the country.
The bulls have names like Booger, Slick Willy, What Spot and Pistol Pete.
Hunter “Bobo” Davis who stands in first after the first day of the competition for senior bull riders said this competition is top of the line too.
The Bulls and Barrells Finals will continue Saturday at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday at 2 p.m. There will be Cowboy Church held at the arena on Sunday at 12 p.m.
