Shady Dale Rodeo Is This Weekend
If you’ve never seen a rodeo in person you should mark Friday and Saturday, June 5 and 6 on your calendar, for at 8 p.m. one of the best rodeos in the southeast will occur in Shady Dale.
The award winning Shady Dale Rodeo is produced by the Masonic Lodges of Jasper County and proudly celebrates its 26th year. The rodeo grounds are located on Hwy. 83 just south of the red flashing light at the intersection of 83 and Hwy.142 in down town Shady Dale.
This year’s rodeo will feature the best cowboys and cowgirls from the International Professional Rodeo Association competing for $20,000 in prize money, matched against the toughest livestock from the Southern rodeo company. It’s something for the whole family, bare back and saddle bronc riding, tie down roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, world championship bull riding and a calf scramble for kids 6 to 12.
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Friday night is family night with all youngsters 10 and under admitted free with two adult admissions. A variety of concessions will be available from home cooked BBQ, hotdogs, hamburgers, boiled peanuts and the favorite, Farm Bureau ladies home made cakes, pies, cookies and other sweets.
An encore to the rodeo this year will include the Masonic Child Identification Program (CHIPS) which will allow parents to obtain critical data and DNA to aid law enforcement to identify a lost child at no cost to the parent with all data remaining as the property of the parent. It will be set up in a tent at the rodeo for parents who would like to process their children.
The specialty act this year will be Shane & Sussie Karson of Kissimmee, Fla. performing the colorful and exciting “Liberty Stand,” the most dangerous stunt in trick riding culminating with a three horse Roman Riding team jumping through a blazing ring of fire.
The rodeo clown is Brian Potter of Newville, Ala. who has more than 20 years of experience and is famous for his “Motocross Mike” act.
A special hats off to the corporate sponsors of the 26th Shady Dale Rodeo, Hooper Trailor Sales, The Ginn Motor Company, Pennington Seed, Don Heaton Quality Cabinets and McIntosh State Bank. All of the proceeds from the rodeo’s ticket sales and concessions go towards charity and is awarded to the Atlanta Children’s Health Care Hospital, The Shrine Burn Hospital, The York Rite Eye Foundation, The Masonic Children’s Home in Macon and to provide college scholarships for the education of local youth.
Parking is free and adult tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the gate. During the day beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Shady Dale’s Rodeo Roundup Festival will entertain rodeo fans with music, venders and eats with the mile long parade beginning at 3 p.m.
We are honored to have Sgt. Glen Wilson a three tour Veteran of Iraq/Afghanistan as the Grand Marshall of the parade this year. So grab your cowboy hat’ pull up your boots and come on down to Shady Dale for a day of family fun, and excitement one you and your kids will not soon forget.
For more information, call 706-468-6296.
