After a conspicuous absence from Selma, rodeo has ridden into town. For the first time in nearly five years, Selma is hosting a Professional Cowboy Association (PCA) sanctioned rodeo for the entertainment of area audiences. The festivities begin tonight and continue tomorrow night, rain or shine, at 8 p.m. at the County Horse Arena on Valley Creek Church Road.

Bob Tipton, the rodeo clown for this year and event coordinator, said that this year’s rodeo will be exciting. Typical events for the rodeo, such as bareback riding, saddlebronc riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, girls’ breakaway roping, barrel racing, team roping, and bull riding, will be included in the weekend’s event roster. Over 200 cowboys and cowgirls will compete for about $14,000 in prize money in these events.

Tipton said that both nights of the rodeo are certain to be interesting.

“These cowboys compete in two or three rodeos a weekend,” he said. “So we get to have a different set on each night. It’s just all real good, clean family entertainment.”

As a part of the family that is to be entertained, children are catered to at the rodeo. Plenty of events are planned for the kids, including a gold rush for kids six and under, a calf scramble for ages 6-12, and a foot race for the 12-and-over crowd.

This year’s rodeo is hoped to be the first of many forthcoming rodeos to benefit the Central Alabama Animal Shelter, said Terry Striedieck of the shelter.

“This is for the shelter’s benefit,” she explained. “And we’re hoping that it will be the first of many.”

The animal shelter gets 10 percent of the ticket sales, as well as concessions money, which will help in the operation of the facility.

“It’s just a great cause,” said Tipton. “It will be good for everybody to come and support and have a good time while doing it.”