Contact: Dana Traywick
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The 2015 Starkville Rotary Club Rodeo is coming Friday and Saturday [Feb. 13 and 14] to the Mississippi Horse Park.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event is the club's largest fundraiser, with annual proceeds supporting humanitarian, educational and community service activities.
Beginning at 7 p.m. each day, two rounds of bull riding, steer wrestling, bareback riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding and team roping will be available for fans to enjoy.
Friday's gates open at 6 p.m., with children 12 and under admitted free.
Saturday's schedule includes pony rides and a petting zoo taking place 5-6:30 p.m. on the arena floor. Entry to the rides and zoo is free with rodeo admission.
Adult admission is $15 at the door; $12 in advance. Saturday children's admission is $5.
Tickets may be purchased in advance from some of the event co-sponsors, including the Oktibbeha County Co-op, Starkville Daily News and Tractor Supply in Starkville; Mitchell Automotive in West Point; and Tractor Supply in Columbus.
"Over the last few years, this event has become known as 'the rodeo' to our community," said Bricklee Miller, horse park director. "It's family-friendly and gives people the opportunity to see cowboys ride top-tier stock that have been featured at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas."
Miller said the horse park, a division of Mississippi State University Extension Service, has been awarded the Justin Boots Best Footing Award for the past three years in recognition of "our exceptional footing that helps draw elite competitors."
She added: "We also are very excited that for the first time this year our rodeo is one of 36 selected across the country to be a WPRA Tour Rodeo; it is such an honor and we look forward to an awesome event."
WRPA is the acronym for Women's Professional Rodeo Association.
A Rotary-staffed concession operation will offer a wide variety of food and soft-drink choices. Private vendors selling rodeo-related items will be located along the concourse.
Mississippi Farm Bureau and Columbus' WCBI-TV are other rodeo co-sponsors.
Rotary member Trey Breckenridge, rodeo co-chair, expressed the organization's special thanks to all of the sponsors. "We truly appreciate their continued contributions that benefit our community," he said.
The horse park is located on East Poor House Road, between Starkville's South Montgomery Street and Oktoc Road in Oktibbeha County. Directions may be found at www.msucares.com/centers/agricenter/directions.html.
For more information, telephone the horse park event info line at 662-325-0508, or follow on Facebook at MS Horse Park. Information also is available from the Rotary Club Rodeo website at www.rodeo.starkvillerotary.org.
MSU is Mississippi's flagship research university, available online at www.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate.