Lions Club Rodeo and Davy Crockett Festival Kick Off in Crockett
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – The 61st annual Crockett Lions Club PRCA rodeo will gallop back into town beginning this Thursday, May 11 and running through Saturday. The Davy Crockett festival is also set to keep us busy and entertained this Saturday.
Each night, the rodeo will kick off at the Porth Ag Arena, located at 1100 Edmiston Dr. In Crockett. Some of the events include bareback riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping and local team roping, saddle bronc-riding , barrel racing, local barrel racing and bull riding.
Some local teams qualified to participate in the rodeo in the team roping category including:
Thursday
- Colby Davenport, Travis Yates
- Peyton Harrison, Blaine Weiterman
- Matt Benton, Carson Ray
- Jake Starns, Will Yates
- Slade Murray, Darren Stoner
Friday
- Justin Omelina, Robert Burleson
- Brandon Mason, Cole Hackler
- Darrell Burleson, Nate McLaughlin
- Tristin Brooks, Connor Dickson
- Jeffrey Williams, Trevor Williams
Saturday
- Dusty Carter, Justin Lovell
- Todd Merriwether, Casey Robinson
- Jim Lovell, Joel Lovell
- Stephen Bobbitt, Roan Prager
- Derek Crisp, Charles Gardner
Other local stars will be competing in the barrel races, including Bobbie Sue Dunn, Talin Galloway, Reba Barlow, Makayla Commander, Kris Blackmon Tarrant, Shyanne Clark, Haylei Clark, Sissy Lively, Caitlyn Mares, Klete Currie, Kiley Hargrove, Riley Parker, Grace Edleston, Ciara Parker and Lauren Holt.
There will be plenty of time for other fan favorites such as two sessions of muttin’ busting, with only 30 places available each night with a cost of $30 per child with equipment and safety gear provided. Kids must be seven-years-old or younger, weigh 60 pounds or less and parents or guardians must sign a waiver.
Saturday will be the last night, with the rodeo queen to be crowned that night after a four-year hiatus from the contest. The current queen is Melanie Jenkins, with six candidates vying for the role: Kami LeBlanc, Joey Lewis, Gracie Ann Mason, Madeline Crawford, Caroline Hackler and Codee Bierdrycki. The Messenger was recently able to sit down with five of the candidates and the video of that interview can be found on our web page or social media pages.
Tickets for the rodeo are $15 for adults (13 and older), $7 for kids aged 5-12 and those under four-years-old get in for free. The President of the Crockett Lions Club is Nate Heersink, Secretary Kelby Bond and Treasurer Jan Pigford. The rodeo queen coordinator is is Heather Bishop.
Before you go busting any muttons Saturday night, be sure to go to the Davy Crockett festival Saturday, May 13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Davy Crockett Memorial Park. There will be arts and crafts, all the traditional festival food vendors and live music all day, with several bands set to keep the crowds singing along.
Sunday, May 14 will be the tastiest part of the weekend with the Master Cupcake Challenge at the Crockett Civic Center at 1 p.m. Judges have been recruited and entrants will pit their sweets in divisions organized by age groups.
And they say there’s nothing to do in Crockett…
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
