By Chachi Hawkins

The August 12-13, 2016 Big Bend Ranch Rodeo is fast approaching.  Ranch teams from Texas and New Mexico have sent in their entries and are loading their horses. Don’t miss this year’s event.

This year’s ranch rodeo is going to be two days of non-stop horse action.

Friday morning @8:00am there is a Cutting competition at the o6 Flats Arena .  That evening at 7:00pm starts the first of two performances of the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo.

Tickets for the rodeo performances go on sale at the gate at 5:30pm each night. Tickets are $10.00 and children 12 and under get in free.

     Big Bend Ranch Rodeo events include:

• Ranch Bronc Riding—One member from each team will be required to ride a

      bucking horse for 8 seconds in a working ranch saddle and one-rein halter.

     (This one gets nasty!)

• Wild Cow Milking—Four members from each team will be required to rope a

       cow and milk her in less than two minutes.  Milking may not commence until the          

       rope is off the cow, so three men must hold her.  (This one gets wild!)

• Team Doctoring—Four members from each team must pick one numbered

animal from a large herd, rope it, and place a non-toxic paint mark between the

animal’s eyes in less than two minutes. (This one is a ranch necessity!)

• Team Branding—Up to six members from each team can compete here.  Two

      teams will compete at the same time and they each have two minutes to rope,

      throw and mark with non-toxic paint, two calves each.  (This one is exciting!)

• Team Sorting—Four men from each team have two minutes to sort out five head of cattle from a herd.  The catch is that these cows are numbered and the cowboys must sort them in numerical order based on a starting number called out by the announcer.  (This one is tough!)

This year we have changed the format—each team will compete in each event each night—making the competition even tougher.

These five events earn teams points toward qualifying for the World Championship Ranch Rodeo in November and the winner of the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo automatically wins a place in the World championships.

Performing each night will be hometown girl, 10 year old trick rider Emilee Charlesworth and her mentor, one of the world’s top equestrian athletes, Madison McDonald.

Saturday, August 13th at 9:00am starts off with the RHAA competition and at

10:00am with a 17-and-under working cow horse event.  Both events showcase the talent of the rider and the horse in many ranch related exercises.

The Saturday night Ranch Rodeo performance is at 7:00pm and will end with the awards ceremony. There will be a dance following the awards ceremony at the Lobo Bar.

On Sunday, there will be a church service at the Big Bend Cowboy Church at 10:30am.

Call Chachi Hawkins at 432-364-2696 for more information on the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo weekend.  Visit our website at www.bigbendranchrodeo.com

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