Shady Dale Rodeo Planned June 3 & 4
Miss Rodeo USA Katie Barger will be present for the annual Shady Dale Rodeo set for Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4, at 8 p.m. each night at the Shady Dale Rodeo Grounds on Hwy. 83.
She will also ride in the Shady Dale Rodeo parade on Saturday, June 4, at 3 p.m. in downtown Shady Dale. Miss Barger was crowned Miss Rodeo USA on January 16. “I am honored to be the new Miss Rodeo USA and am looking forward to promoting the sport that I love so much. I am excited to get to travel all over the United States and Canada sharing my platform, ‘Give a Smile’.”
Raised in the small country town of Quitman, Ark., Miss Barger began competing in rodeos as soon as she conquered a walk and a trot at age 4. She has competed in barrel racing, goat tying, and pole bending. Her favorite event is goat tying.
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Another face at the rodeo will be that of Trent McFarland, a professional rodeo entertainer and barrel man, also known as the rodeo clown. Mr. McFarland has more than 17 years of experience at entertaining crowds with his quick wit, crowd interaction and high energy. He was fortunate to be raised in a clown family and has spent many years learning from one of the best in the business, his father Sid McFarland.
He loves making people laugh, and feels fortunate to be able to entertain the crowds at rodeos. He also has a “day” job for when rodeoing is not successful. He is a registered nurse and his patients always want to hear about the rodeo.
The specialty act for this year’s rodeo is the Olson Family offering classic western family entertainment. Jerry and Judy Olson have shared the limelight over the years, performing together and individually. The have been named among the top five Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) specialty acts of the year, and have performed with Ted Nugent for six seasons.
This year’s rodeo will also feature a performance by Southern Exposure Drill Team, made up of Taylor Long, Miranda McKinley, Rusty Hulon, Sydney Moore, Olivia Bogs, Ethan Bonds, Callie Truitt, and coach Sport Hulon.
The team competes in as many drill team competitions as it can. They also ride at many rodeos, horse shows and local events.
All of this will be in addition to more than 100 cowboys and cowgirls competing for lots of prize money in a rodeo put on by Southern Rodeo Company for the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA). The rodeo is sponsored by Hooper Trailer Sales, Pennington Seed, and Ginn Motor Co.
Admission to the rodeo is $15 for adults, and $5 for children ages 4-10. Those under four are admitted free. On Friday, children under 10 will be admitted free with two paying adults.
In addition, the Shady Dale Community Club will again sponsor the “Round-up Festival” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. The festival will feature numerous vendors offering their wares for sale as well as a wide variety of food for sale. The parade is at 3 p.m., so everyone wants to visit in time to shop and see the parade and enjoy some yummy food.
