The Three Rivers College Championship College Rodeo, presented by Farm Credit Southeast Missouri, will be held Oct. 14-16. The event co-hosted by the Sikeston Jaycees, will be held at the Art Saunders Arena at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo grounds.
The rodeo will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 and 15, and 3 p.m. Oct. 16. Tickets will be $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 4-12, and free for ages 3 and younger. Three Rivers students and employees will be admitted for $5 by showing their TRC ID. Gates will open one hour before start time.
The event is National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association-sanctioned and will feature top competitors from 15 college rodeo teams in the Association’s Ozark Region. Participating colleges include Central Methodist University, East Mississippi Community College, Erskine College, Michigan State University, Mississippi State University, Missouri Valley College, Murray State University, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Pearl River Community College, Southern Arkansas University, University of Arkansas-Monticello, University of Kentucky, University of West Alabama, and the University of Tennessee at Martin, as well as Three Rivers College. The teams will be competing for top honors at the rodeo, regional ranking, and points to qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo in June 2022.
“We are thrilled to bring college rodeo to Sikeston again this year,” said Chad Phipps, coach of the Three Rivers Rodeo Team. “Sikeston has a lot of rodeo fans, and we are excited to work with the Jaycees to host yet another fun and exciting rodeo event in the area. This rodeo will allow our students to show off their skills at home, while bringing in other competitors from around the country.”
The rodeo will include bull riding, bareback bronc riding, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, goat tying and various roping competitions.
At each performance, there will be a free calf scramble for kids ages 5-12 sponsored by Montgomery Bank. On Saturday, Oct. 16, from 2-6 p.m., Phillips Exotics Petting Zoo sponsored by GoSEMO Fiber will be available for little cowboys and cowgirls to enjoy.
New this year, Cowboy Kenny Steel Rodeo will thrill attendees with a daring dirt bike show on Friday and Saturday evenings. This specialty act features an 11-time X games champion, who is one of the most successful dirt bike riders in Freestyle Motocross. Cowboy Kenny will set up and perform immediately following the rodeo both evenings.
“The rodeo will pull in around 300 competitors in addition to their coaches, families, and spectators of the sport,” Phipps said.
In conjunction with the College Rodeo, there will be a Slack competition following the rodeo on Oct. 14 and again at 9 a.m. Oct. 15. This will be free.
Food and refreshments will be available for purchase at the event.
Championship College Rodeo tickets will be available for purchase starting Sept. 8 at the Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, Sikeston Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Three Rivers College’s Office of Student Accounts in Poplar Bluff. On Oct. 14-16, they will be available beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday, at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo grounds, 1308 N. Ingram Road in Sikeston.
For more information on the Championship College Rodeo and on sponsorship opportunities, contact Chad Phipps at 573-840-9698 or cphipps@trcc.edu.
Daily American Republic