Are you ready for some rodeo?
The three-night Hope High School FFA Rodeo enters its 59th year April 19-21 at Hope Fair Park Coliseum Arena. The all-student production organized and performed by FFA members and Hope Public Schools students is a marquee event in Southwest Arkansas as the largest and longest-running student rodeo in Arkansas.\r\n
\r\nStudents interested in competing must attend school in the Hope Public Schools. Students competing in Little Britches Bull Riding must submit an official entry form signed by a parent and notarized. All student entry forms must be submitted by April 13, according to FFA faculty sponsor Christina Smith. Students in elementary grades competing in certain other events must also submit an official entry form signed by a parent and notarized. Forms may be obtained by contacting the agriculture studies department at Hope High School.\r\n
\r\nTickets are $5 each for each night of the rodeo.\r\n
\r\nRodeo action opens on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. with Old Timer’s Night, he said. Events during that performance are for former FFA members and HHS alumni from within the previous five years. Old Timer’s events include chute dogging, team roping, calf roping, wild steer tagging and barrel racing.\r\n
\r\nBarrel racing events, which are part of the Old Timer’s and student contests, are open to male and female contestants.\r\n
\r\nStudent events for the two nights of regular competition April 20-21 include bareback horse riding, calf haltering, hide ride, junior bull riding, goat tying, calf roping, pig scramble, wild steer tagging, mutton busting, barrel pickup, chute dogging, barrel racing, bull riding, pole bending, and pig dressing. The action starts at 7 p.m. each evening.\r\n
\r\nBelt buckles are awarded to winners in most events and to an all-around cowboy and all-around cowgirl.\r\n
\r\nFunds raised from the rodeo finance FFA chapter competition activities, as well as provide scholarships to HHS students, according to Smith.\r\n
\r\nSome student entry fees are charged, such as a $1 fee for a Little Britches Bull Riding contest, as well as a $5 entry fee for some other contests. \r\n
\r\nA Junior Queen competition will be included, again, this year. Junior Queen contestants must submit an official entry form signed by a parent and notarized. Contestants must also provide their own horse to ride in the grand entry and contest.\r\n
