Community Events for June 2022

Mt. Pleasant PRCA Rodeo | Mt Pleasant, TX | 6/2 – 6/4

Howdy everybody and welcome to the Mt Pleasant Rodeo! For 57 years the Mt Pleasant Rodeo Association has put on award winning rodeo action and done it all with an amazing VOLUNTEER effort. Our mission is to continue our Western heritage and further the sport of rodeo by providing an affordable, wholesome experience, in a safe venue for the entire community, while honoring God & Country. We hope you’ll join us for the 2021 edition, June 3,4,&5. We’ll kick it off with a prayer and the national anthem – whatever happens after that, well you’ll just have to hang on for the ride!

Texas High School Rodeo Finals Rodeo | Abilene, TX | 6/2 – 6/11

The Texas High School Rodeo Association is a 501-C non-profit organization which is the largest, most prestigious state high school rodeo association in the nation. When you get involved with THSRA, you are supporting family values, dedicated young people and scholarships.

THSRA sponsors over 125 rodeos per year throughout ten regions across Texas. The rodeo year begins in August and concludes with the Texas High School Finals Rodeo in June. It is here, at the largest rodeo in the state of Texas, where “The Elite Compete” featuring the top cowboys and cowgirls from each Region. They compete for numerous awards, scholarships as well as the coveted honor of representing the State of Texas at the National High School Finals Rodeo held each July.

Wichita County Mounted Patrol Rodeo | Wichita Falls, TX | 6/3 – 6/4

In 1957 a group of 15 men, under the leadership of Dr. Ted Alexander, organized the Wichita County Sheriff’s Patrol. 10 years later the Sheriff’s Patrol changed its name to the Wichita County Mounted Patrol.

The first professional rodeo was hosted by the Patrol in 1958 at Spudder ballpark on the north side of Wichita Falls. After hosting three professional rodeos at the ballpark and one at Midwestern State University’s football field, construction was complete on the arena located on FM 369. In 1961 the fourth annual Red River Rodeo was held at this new facility.

Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo | Amarillo, TX | 6/3 – 6/4

The Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo was originally the Coors Ranch Rodeo. The Coors Ranch Rodeo was the kickoff event of the summer from 1987-2007. The Coors Cowboy Club now oversees, directs and runs the Ranch Rodeo with the same love and commitment the Reed family and Coors of Amarillo gave the rodeo for 20 years. This is the major fundraiser for the Coors Cowboy Club.

The Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo is an annual event that serves as a tribute to our West Texas heritage. This ranch rodeo promotes our rich history and the western life by featuring competition between real cowboys from real working ranches in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and New Mexico.

Ranch rodeo’s promote and showcase actual events that the cowboys participate in on a daily basis on their ranches. The unique and wonderful aspect of the Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo is the qualifications that a ranch must possess to be eligible for the Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo. The Coors Cowboy Club board and rodeo committee review each ranch and give consideration to each ranch based upon specific criteria; one of the most important being the historical significance of the ranch. Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo ranches also must be working ranches.

Equest Gala | Dallas, TX | 6/4

Equest’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for children and adults with diverse needs by partnering with horses to bring hope and healing through equine assisted activities and therapies.

Equest is a 501 (c) (3) public charity, IRS Tax ID 75-1823701. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Our organization is not a United Way Agency. We are dependent upon charitable gifts and grants to support our programs.

Equest values diversity, equity, and inclusivity and is committed to having a diverse board and staff that reflect the communities that Equest serves.

Yellowstone Riggin’ Rally | Darby, MT | 6/4 – 6/5

The Steiner Rodeo Family from Texas have announced the the 3rd Annual Riggin’ Rally in Darby being billed as “The World’s Richest Bareback Riding,” to be held June 4th and 5th, 2022. The Rally will include the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the top 24 Bareback Riders from the PRCA, and a $50,000 purse. The Cowboy Channel will be filming the Rally for broadcast on their network.

The event will be held at the Richard Cromwell Memorial Rodeo Grounds in Darby. The Darby Rodeo Association will be a beneficiary of a portion of the sales of tickets, liquor and vendor proceeds. Cal Ruark, President of the Darby Rodeo Association expressed, “I was blown away when I received a call from Bobby Steiner who I have followed for years. But when he said he wanted to bring this event to Darby Montana because he recognizes the Darby Rodeo Association and Rodeo Grounds as top notch and home of the Best Little Bull Riding…well I was speechless. I said yes of course! And out of the blue, here we are.”

Shale Energy Conference & Trade Show | Longview, TX | 6/8 – 6/9

Shale Energy Conference & Trade Show June Each year, With over 300 exhibiting and over 3000 Attendees, this yearly event is the perfect fit to get your company exposure in the prolific Permian Basin.

Country With Heart Benefiting St. Jude Sponsored By Cavender’s PFI | Nashville, TN | 6/11

For the seventh year, Country With Heart will be held during CMA Music Fest week to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The all-star event is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, 2022 at the Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theatre on Music Valley Drive in Nashville, Tennessee with a buffet at 5:30pm followed by music at 6:30pm.

Gladewater Rodeo Round-Up | Gladewater, TX | 6/8 – 6/11

The Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo was founded in 1937 by local businessman J. N. “Jack” Yates, a Sioux Indian from North Dakota who had moved to Gladewater during the oil boom. Yates, a veteran of World War I, organized the first rodeo ever to be held in France as entertainment for the soldiers, and according to historical documents, he sought to recreate the event in Gladewater.

Since its humble beginnings, the rodeo has become nationally known and ranks among the top rodeos in the state as well as the top 10 percent in the nation. The arena has hosted some of the nation’s most notable competitors, including Don Gay, an eight-time PRCA World Champion Bull Rider; Roy Cooper, the leading money winner of all time for the PRCA; Ty Murray; Lane Frost; Jim Shoulders; and many others.

Tyler Cattle Barons’ Gala | Tyler, TX | 6/11

The first Tyler Cattle Barons’ Gala was held in 1988. While much was known about this disease, much more was not.

To date, over $16.5 million dollars has been raised locally to support both local and national cancer support services including cancer research. Without the help and local support of past contributors, this would not have been accomplished. For that, we thank you and appreciate your support now and in the future. As we embark on this journey, we are anxious to meet new supporters who will help us and the ACS combat cancer.

On behalf of the 2022 Cattle Barons’ Committee, we hope you will join us on June 11th, 2022 at the wonderful facilities of Texas Rose Horse Park for the Gala we have planned for you. Enjoy an evening of wonderful food, mainstream entertainment, our gaming tables, live and silent auctions, and so much more. All who attend will enjoy their evening!

Cancer does not discriminate, and never will. Someday, we hope that cancer will be eradicated and, together with your support, we can all do our part. We also celebrate survivors, who possibly wouldn’t be here today were it not for the actions of the American Cancer Society. While cancer is still ever present today, positive steps forward have been made and more will come, and for that, we thank you.

Stockton Lake PRCA Rodeo | Stockton, MO | 6/17 – 6/18

Join us at the Stockton Lake PRCA Rodeo in June for a great rodeo. The Stockton Lake PRCA Rodeo works hard to deliver you a memorable rodeo experience.

National Junior High Finals Rodeo | Perry, GA | 6/19 – 6/25

Like most amazing inventions and developments, the National High School Rodeo Association began as a simple, logical idea which over the course of a few short years, took shape into something quite incredible.

The effort that would eventually become the NHSRA was the brainchild of Claude Mullins, a Texas educator who was a big fan of the sport, and an even bigger fan of the youth he worked with almost every day. Mullins grew up around horses and cattle and sports of all different kinds during the 1920’s. In the 1930’s, small rodeos began to spring up in the area and he became an instant fan.

Today, Claude Mullins’ dream has evolved into an organization that probably could not have been foreseen when he first saw those young boys innocently practicing their roping skills so many years ago. Mullins passed away in 1990. Yet his legacy of support for youth, and his love of rodeo, continues to have a dramatic difference in the lives of over 10,500 students in the United States, Canada, and Australia. And what was once a national finals that featured 121 entries has now grown into a National High School Finals Rodeo that features over 1,500 students on a regular basis and has become known as the “World’s Largest Rodeo.”

The creation of the Junior High Division in 2004 helped bring the excitement, mentorship, and thrills of rodeo to a new generation of junior high school students. And with each passing year, the Association continues to build upon its legacy of promoting the sport, while also supporting and preparing the future leaders of our society.

Rodeo of the Ozarks Queen Pageant | Springdale, AR | 6/22

The Rodeo of the Ozarks Queen Pageant is a 60-year tradition featuring title-holders and contestants from the four-state area during four days of professional rodeo queen pageantry. Contestants compete in horsemanship, speech, interviews, appearance, and personality categories. For the first time in our rich history, there will now be a Jr. Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks title and awards for young ladies ages 14 – 17. The Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks category is for young ladies ages 18-24. Contestants may be residents of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, or Missouri! The pageant is held in conjunction with the rodeo. Who will carry on the tradition of Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks? Who will make history as the first-ever Jr. Miss Rodeo of the Ozarks? Let’s find out!

Will Rogers Range Riders | Amarillo, TX | 6/30 – 7/2

On July 4, 1938, the city of Amarillo commemorated the opening of the Will rogers Memorial Highway US 66. So later that year, when a group of businessmen in the city decided to form a riding club, a place where they could gather and enjoy a common interest – horses – it was decided to call the club the Will Rogers Range Riders.

Will Rogers Range Riders celebrates its 76th anniversary this year. Although none of the original members are still active, many of the current members have been in the club for more than 20 years, and the traditions that were set forth in 1938 are still upheld.

Mickey Gilley – A Legend in the Western Industry

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mickey Gilley.

Mickey was born on March 9, 1936, in Natchez, Mississippi. While growing up in Ferriday, Louisiana his love and appreciation for music flourished. It led him in 1957 to embark on a career in music. A couple of years later he had his first chart record, “Is it wrong for loving you?” He continued to play throughout the south until he eventually settled in Pasadena, TX.

It was here in 1971, he and his business partner, opened the world-famous Gilley’s Night Club. Gilley’s is known for many things such as being in the Guinness Book of Records as the World’s largest Honky-Tonk and inspiring an article in Esquire magazine entitled, “The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy: America’s Search for True Grit.” This culminated in the blockbuster movie “Urban Cowboy” starring John Travolta and Debra Winger and sparked a western fashion phenomenon.

As we remember Mickey Gilley, his legendary career and contributions to the western industry, we can see and feel how his influence remains strong. Mickey, his music, style and his club personified a part of our western lives. From mechanical bulls to western fashions, the Urban Cowboy style has been an enduring cultural and fashion statement.

On behalf of all of us at Cavender’s, we ask for God’s love and merciful grace for Mickey, his family, his friends and his fans. They are in our thoughts and prayers.

2022 Resistol Rookie Rodeo

Cash Wilson knew when he decided to compete in ProRodeo this year that he was going to be in a fight to reach some of his goals. “It’s a really good rookie class,” said Wilson, 21, of Wall, South Dakota. “There are so many guys with great talent, especially in bronc riding. Lucas (Macza) is in the top 15 in the world, and I’m not far behind him.”

No, he’s not. Wilson is coming off a solid permit season in 2021. In order to become full-fledged members of the PRCA, competitors must earn at least $1,000 on their permits. Wilson pocketed nearly $25,000 last year while also attending college and competing in intercollegiate rodeo. So far this season, he’s snagged more than $23,000.

He hopes to collect considerably more during the inaugural Cowboy Channel Rookie Roundup presented by Resistol, which takes place at 2 p.m. Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30, at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. All contestants will compete in the opening round on that Friday, with the top eight in each event returning for Saturday’s semifinals. The tournament-style format will then weed the number down to the top four competing for the roundup’s title.

“My goal is to make the National Finals Rodeo this year and to win the Resistol Rookie of the Year,” said Wilson, a junior at Tarleton State University in nearby Stephenville, Texas. “The Rookie Roundup is a great opportunity to put some good money in your pocket. I think they’re adding about $10,000 in each event, so that money can help you keep going through the rest of the summer.”

The two-day event also allows each contestant the opportunity to make more runs or ride more bucking animals, gaining valuable experience.

Macza leads the bronc riding rookie standings with nearly $30,000, which is good enough for 15th in the world standings. Wilson and his traveling partners – Damian Brennan and Brody Wells – aren’t far behind. Brennan is 2nd in the rookie race, while Wilson is third and Wells sixth.

The top 15 cowboys and cowgirls in each event based on the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings have been invited to be part of the competition. The winners are selected based on earnings through end of the year, which concludes after the NFR. Resistol has been associated with the award since its inception in 1977.

“We are so honored to support this program for the Resistol Rookies of the Year,” said Ricky Bolin, Resistol’s general manager. “This new event will continue to educate and elevate them as they begin their journeys toward a professional career in rodeo. The youth are the future of our sport, and we love seeing this program go.”

The Resistol Rookie of the Year program has served as a catapult for many of rodeo’s greatest champions. Before he earned his 26 world championships, Trevor Brazile was named the 1996 Resistol Rookie of the Year in steer roping.

Others that have carried their rookie titles over into Montana Silversmiths gold buckles read like a who’s who of ProRodeo’s greatest stars: Joe Beaver, Ty Murray, Luke Branquinho, Ryder Wright, Sage Kimzey, Stetson Wright and Caleb Smidt, just to name a few.

The money earned in the Rookie Roundup will count toward the rookie standings but will not count toward NFR qualifications. That means the winners of each event will likely move up in their own races for the Resistol Rookie of the Year awards, yet they will not be able to move up in the world standings.

“There will still be a lot of opportunities to get better and get more exposure,” said Wilson, who will also be competing at the Tarleton State rodeo that weekend. “It’s also nice that we’ll get to ride in a pretty cool place in the Fort Worth Stockyards.”

The Resistol Rookies of the Year are celebrated each year with a luncheon that takes place in conjunction with the NFR in Las Vegas. Resistol, which is one of the original sponsors and still the official hat of the PRCA, presents a custom personalized 30X Resistol felt hat, and trophy Hat Pac carrying case. They also present a fully tooled Cactus Saddle, a Resistol-branded Yeti cooler, and a Resistol PRCA Rookie leather trophy jacket.

Beyond that, it’s an honor that winners can reflect on for the rest of their careers. The most recent class of Resistol Rookies of the Year is already making a name for itself. Of the 10 winners in 2021, bareback rider Cole Franks and bull rider Creek Young earned qualifications to the NFR.

They were joined by steer wrestler Marc Joiner, header John Gaona, heeler Caleb Hendrix, saddle bronc rider K’s Thomson, tie-down roper Beau Cooper, barrel racer Kylee Scribner, breakaway roper Madison Outhier and Slade Wood, who won both the steer roping and all-around titles.

“Ever since I started rodeoing, winning the Resistol Rookie of the Year was one of the big goals for me,” said Franks, whose father, Bret, was a three-time NFR qualifier in saddle bronc riding. “Growing up around rodeo, you hear about the guys that have won it, and it made me strive for that goal, too. You only get one shot at it. There are only so many people that have that title, so you are in a very select group of people. It’s a great title to have under your belt, and you’ll carry that with you no matter where you go.”

Here’s wishing all the best to those stepping up to the challenge. What an honor to be able to throw their hat in the ring. Resistol is proud to present the opportunities for forward momentum into amazing careers.