HOPE – The Hope High School Future Farmers of America chapter brought "Western Day" to Clinton Primary School as the FFA readies its 62nd annual three-night FFA Rodeo performance run beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. at Hope Fair Park Coliseum Arena.
\r\nAt a mere $5 per ticket, FFA Sponsor Christina Smith-Phillips said the all-student rodeo is the best buy for the ticket. Rodeo performances will continue Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. each evening.\r\n
\r\n“This year we will give every person at the rodeo a different colored wrist band,” Smith-Phillips said. “This will help us identify who is allowed in which areas of the coliseum.”\r\n
\r\nFFA Chapter President Oscar Marquez demonstrated some roping technique for fourth graders, while Sarah Ward, Kelston Mask and Romelo Ford bantered with students about FFA Rodeo lore and "Little Britches" events for their age groups. The group also joined CPS teacher aide Lacey Singleton and her miniature pony Flicka for some up-close experiences for CPS kindergarten classes.
\r\nThe FFA Rodeo will feature Hope resident Whitney Bearden and her “liberty works” horse performances each night with trained horses she has taught to independently respond to her movements and signals in the arena with coordinated performances which the horses undertake themselves.\r\n
\r\nThursday night will be Old Timers Night with chute dogging, team roping, steer roping, wild steer tagging and barrel racing.\r\n
\r\nEvents Friday and Saturday nights include “Little Britches” mutton busting and pig scramble, while junior events include junior queen selection, junior bull riding and pig scramble.\r\n
\r\nJunior Queen candidates include Haysley Flowers, kindergartener at First United Methodist Preschool/Kindergarten; Kylee Bruce, Clinton Primary School second grader; Payton Anderson, Garrett Memorial Christian School third grader; and J’sea Brown, FACTS Headstart student.\r\n
\r\nSenior events include bareback riding, calf haltering, hide ride, goat tying, calf roping, pig scramble, wild steer tagging, barrel pickup, chute dogging, barrel racing, bull riding, pole bending, and pig dressing contests.\r\n
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