Plans for the annual Marion County Cattlemen’s Rodeo are being finalized, and this year’s rodeo will get a head start with a promotion this weekend at Gentry Day.
“We’re going to be serving food at Gentry Day and proceeds will be going to the Terrell family,” rodeo marketing representative Kim Gingell said. “Any child under 6 years old can stop by the booth and get a free ticket for the rodeo.”
The 63rd edition will be March 16 and March 17 at the Columbia Expo Center and features some new events.
“We will have a wild cow milking event,” Gingell said. “Teams will try to milk the cow. We’ll also have Dusti Dickerson, who was with the Dixie Stampede. She is a trick rider who does Roman riding (where the riders stand).”
This year’s rodeo will also feature some of the traditional events.
“As always, we’ll have the calf scramble on Friday and Saturday nights,” Gingell said. “It is for children ages 6 to 12 years old. We will also have rodeo clown Rudy Burns at the event both nights. On March 17, the Cattlemen’s Association will be serving food and giving people a chance to meet Burns at Town & Country Feed Store in Columbia.”
Burns has been a rodeo clown for 38 years and works more than 40 rodeo events per year. In 1995 and 2000, Burns was named Barrel Man of the Year, which is voted on by bull riders, cowboys and various other rodeo participants.
Advance tickets for the event are on sale now at Town & Country Feed Store located at 510 Lumberton Road in Columbia. The rodeo will feature eight events.
The Marion County Cattlemen’s Association has been around for decades and currently has around 75 members and does a variety of things to promote agriculture to youth including offering scholarships. A volunteer board of 12 members helps govern the association and plan events.
Pictured Above: Helping plan this year’s edition of the Marion County Cattlemen’s Association Rodeo are, from left, Trent Tolar, Barry Powell, Justin Green, Michael McDaniel, Billy Raybourn, Gary Hill, Marty Raybourn, Julius Miller and Keith Riley. It’s coming up March 16 and March 17 and new features include a wild cow milking event. | Photo by Kim Gingell
