Ridin’, Ropin’ Rodeo
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Rodeo fans in Chase County are gearing up for this weekend as it’s time for the annual Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City.
This is the 70th year of the rodeo and the weekend is packed with activities. More than 15,000 spectators are expected to watch as contestants compete for thousands of dollars in six rodeo events including bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, WPRA barrel racing, bull riding and team roping. Special events will include cowboy dances and a rodeo parade. This year’s announcer will be Roger Mooney of Ellijay, Ga.
The Flint Hills Rodeo was started in a Chase County pasture in the 1930s by the Emmett Roberts family of Strong City. Many of the Roberts family won world championships in rodeo. The official birth year of the Flint Hills Rodeo is 1937. In 1938, Emmett Roberts, his son Ken Roberts and his son-in-law Eddie Boysen put on the first Chase County Rodeo. The rodeo was re-named the Flint Hills Rodeo the following year and has continued every year since.
Advance tickets are available for $10 until Thursday at 5 p.m. After Thursday, ticket prices go up to $12. Tickets are available by calling (620) 273-6480. General admission tickets at the door are $9 for adults and $7 for children.
Schedule of rodeo events:
Friday
5:30 to 7 p.m.: Buckaroo/buckarette kids rodeo and Mendenhall Miniatures
5:30 to 9:30 p.m.: Trade show at the rodeo grounds
8 p.m.: Rodeo begins
10 p.m.: Cowboy dance featuring the Crawdaddies
Saturday
2 p.m.: Rodeo parade running from Cottonwood Falls to Strong City
4 to 9 p.m.: Trade show at the rodeo grounds
5 to 7 p.m.: Buckaroo/buckarette kids rodeo and Mendenhall Miniatures
8 p.m.: Rodeo begins
10 p.m.: Cowboy dance featuring the Crawdaddies
Sunday
10:45 a.m.: Church service at the arena
11 a.m.: Trade show at rodeo grounds
11:30 to 1:30 p.m.: Buckaroo/buckarette kids rodeo and Mendenhall Miniatures
2 p.m.: Rodeo begins
Other events this weekend include:
• The Girl Scouts will hold workshops, “Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think and Be Active!,” for all girls from 11 to 13 years from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Amend Girl Scout Center, 1200 Burlingame Road. For information or registration form, call 342-4532 or see www.gsflinthills.org.
• Keshia Harris of Emporia has been selected from St. James Missionary Baptist Church and the Smoky Hill District as the district’s Rose Queen candidate at the Kansas State Baptist Convention in June. A benefit variety show will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Manhattan. Those unable to attend may send donations to Smoky Hill District, in care of Freddie Hayes, 312 Hawthorne Drive, Junction City, KS 66441. Checks should be made to “Rose Queen.”
• Toad Hollow Daylily and Iris Farm, 1534 Road 170, will hold its annual Art in the Garden art show Saturday and Sunday, featuring local artists. Admission is free, but donations for art scholarships are welcome and Camp Wood will have a concession stand, with the proceeds going to the camp. The show will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
• Tallgrass Pickin’, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cottonwood Falls, (620) 273-6020.
• Women in the Outdoors, Friday and Saturday, Camp Alexander, advance registration required, 342-1386.
• Americus will have its 150th birthday luncheon at 6 p.m. in the Americus City Park in Americus. Sloppy joes will be furnished and guests are asked to bring desserts and tableware. Call (620) 443-5546 for more information.
• Burlington will have a Cruise-In, Phatal Attraction Car Club 9th Annual show starting at 6 p.m. Saturday at Kelley Park in Burlington. Call (620) 364-8759 for more information. Not a competition.
Comments
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Posted by daveedailey (anonymous) on June 1, 2007 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am excited. Too bad Emporia can not have a traditional something that would be great for all ages. I guess I should be happy, it has an annual "sidewalk sale". The Roberts family should always be thanked for making the rodeo a special event. My children and now my grandchildren will always have a fond memory of the fun on RODEO WEEKEND. Oh, by the way they let them throw candy and other goodies at their parade. Hope to see you there gazette. All ages reallly have a wonderful time. There is something for everybody even if you are not a cowboy, which I am not.
Posted by dayjob55 (anonymous) on June 1, 2007 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I really hope the Gazette is at the rodeo this week-end. I'd love to see coverage of the festivities in the next issue of the Gazette. But then I'm still waiting to see coverage of the Memorial Day activities. How many people here in Emporia knew that the actual people who flew the helicopter that is located at the All Veteran's Memorial were here for the Memorial Day service at Soden's Grove? How many people knew that this was the very first time since VietNam that these 3 heroes were re-united since they flew that chopper? Probably not very many because the Gazette missed a really great human interest story on one of the most revered days of the year.
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