Threat of Rain Doesn't Keep Crowds Away at Allendale Rodeo

 The threat of rain did not keep people away from the Allendale Rodeo this year, as the seats were full for the 34th annual edition. 

There was a new clown this year as Josh Roberts, only 15 years old, came up from Arkansas to do the honors. One of his first jokes was that he met a girl from Allendale, but she turned out to be cross-eyed because they could never see eye to eye. Trying to get everyone pumped up, he asked if they were at a church or a rodeo. “It seems like some people need some Mellow Yellow,” he said. 

The rodeo arena was muddy from the on-again off-again rains Saturday. It helped the contestants in some events and hurt them in others. One event that got some participants after not having had much interest the past few years was the steer wrestling. Two contestants placed as Luke Moore got his steer down in 7.2 seconds and Logan Leiderman got his down in 7.79. One contestant allegedly landed so hard according to Josh that the water went anywhere but the hole. Another time, he talked about stepping in a hole so deep, he wound up in China and heard the people there talking. Another time during the event, Josh and the announcer debated the pronunciation of “Y’all.” 

The noise contest was another subject of debate between Rodeo Clown Josh and the announcer. The south side, pumped up by Josh, was noisier, but the announcer claimed victory for his side, “because the Baptist preacher is sitting on my side.” 

Three contestants in the breakaway roping overcame the muddy conditions as Cassie Adams won with 2.9 seconds, Maddie Schultz got a 3.42, and Ashton Joy got 3.6.

The muddy conditions actually made it easier on the Saddle Bronc and Ranch Bronc riders. Wade Madden got a 70 in the event. Another contestant had their horse collapse coming out of the gate and had to re-ride. 

The most popular event, and one which the contestants have had the most difficulty with was the team roping. Only two out of 12 contestants got a qualified ride, as Tanner Schultz and Tate Judd won with a time of 6.7, and Shawn Murphy and Donna McNeese were the other qualified contestants with a time of 12.4. The conditions were easier for the contestants in this event Friday, as four of the six successfully roped their calf.

There was a scare in the Barrel Racing, as one of the contestants fell off her horse in the slick and muddy conditions and had to be taken to the Ambulance, prompting three other contestants to drop out. All of the contestants were really cautious in the slick conditions.

The announcer observed that you could tell if someone from Arkansas graduated from school if they brushed their teeth. Clown Josh said after the bull tossed one rider particularly high in the air that he didn’t know there was an airport in Allendale. One contestant, Leroy Miller, did manage a successful ride with a score of 72. 

Allendale Rodeo Goes On Despite Lightning

The Allendale Rodeo went on Friday and Saturday despite lightning that came into the area Friday night. The hot day gave way to a cloudy evening, and while it cooled off, there was the danger of lightning.

Rivers Siegrist of Allendale, only 11 years old, nailed the National Anthem perfectly. Ava Shields, Leon Rodeo Queen, carried the flag Friday. Jeremy Muntz, the rodeo clown, provided the entertainment starting with the story about how he tried to switch to a healthy diet, but stopped after nearly choking on an appleseed and realized that there was no such danger with Reece’s Pieces.

Other jokes he told included the one about Slinky, who never realize he was cool until people realized he could be pushed down the stairs. Another one was about the man who felt down on his luck, and decided he could get back on his feet by missing a couple of car payments.

There were a lot of participants in both the boot scramble and the stick horse race, which led Jeremy to observe that the winters 5-7 years ago must have been extremely cold and that people must not have had a lot to do during COVID-19. Gracie Frisch won the boot scramble, possibly following her brother, Lucas, into the Tiger track recordbook down the road.

 

Mothers in Law, Mullets, Chicken Races at 31st Annual Allendale Rodeo

Mothers in law, mullets, and chickens were discussed at the Allendale Rodeo between Seth the Clown and the rodeo announcer Friday and Saturday as the Allendale Rodeo went off without a hitch despite a popup storm that passed through the area Friday afternoon and the threat of rain that evening. 

But the only thing that happened Friday was lightning in the distance as the rodeo was able to proceed in its entirety.

Two bronc riders, Chase Gabriel and Chason  Keifer, managed to get qualified rides in the bareback and the ranch bronc rides respectively. Seth opined that one of those horses ought to be used as a present for his mother-in-law, perhaps Rio Bravo, the horse who slammed in the fence on the first night. 

The contrast between this area and Sedalia, a few hours away, was noted. The announcer noted that it hadn’t rained in Sedalia since the Reagan Administration, while this area had plenty of rain this summer. While Saturday came and went without any serious threat of rain, there was more rain in the area Sunday morning that lasted until the afternoon.

Mullets were another topic of discussion, with Seth recognizing everyone who had one, including one young man at the front who sported a particularly conspicuous one. One guy in the audience, who was picked out by Seth, was, according to Seth born with a suspended license.

Meanwhile, Dalli Overton set an early pace in the breakaway roping that could not be matched either night, getting 2.4 seconds. Heidi Bindl, who went right after her, seemingly  got one in 2.3 seconds, only to have 10 added on for the broken barrier penalty. Everybody else whiffed, except for Alyssa Nelson, who came close but came up short at 2.7 seconds. Two contestants came close in the Saturday portion, but missed, while two others got the rope over the head, but not down under the nose like the rules require.

Gabriel Edwards won the calf roping with 10.2 seconds, followed by Billy Hamilton with 10.9 seconds. Many of the other contestants had a scramble, with calves running in circles around the horse to avoid being caught after being roped. Others were physically strong and the cowboys would successfully rope them, only to have trouble wrestling the calf down. One cowboy’s horse did not cooperate and managed to drag the calf all the way through an open gate, and it took four people to stop the horse and get the calf untied. One cowboy got tangled up in the rope and had to be rescued. Another was seemingly on his way to a 6 or 7 second finish, only for him to trip as the calf got away. Rich Baker got one in just over 14 seconds to win the Over 40 category Saturday.

Normally, the team roping event is one of the events where the contestants have the most difficulty, but there were several who were able to successfully do it Friday, capped off by Chad Day and Trent Schultz, who were encouraged to “give the onion” by Seth and successfully got the best score of the night with a time of 6.1 seconds.

Unfortunately, the mark did not hold up Saturday as Carson Hoepker and Dusty Goetz did the team roping in 5.7 seconds as the first team of the night. The next team whiffed, and the PA announcer played, “Put a Spell on You,” which seemingly jinxed most of Saturday’s contestants as only two more, out of the next nine, managed to get a time.

The event which the contestants had the most trouble with was the bull riding. Even the experienced contestants, who had successfully ridden bulls before, were no match for the bulls of the Grand River Rodeo Company. Out of 16 contestants both Friday and Saturday, none of them completed a successful ride. Most of the contestants were down in three seconds or less Friday. Logan Hockenberry was the lone exception, staying on for six seconds. On Saturday, there were three near-misses. Trent Nelson nearly had a qualified ride, but fell off at the 7.5 second mark; qualified rides have to be eight seconds. Abraham Pamba had an apparent qualifying ride, but was disqualified, allegedly for grabbing the bull with his free hand. Brody McReynolds stayed on for five seconds. The rest of them lasted as long as a Kardashian marriage according to Seth, who is seemingly more up on the lives of the celebrities than we are. 

The bulls were seemingly stars in their own right, as Voodoo, who had a reputation of not liking anyone, threatened one of the rodeo officials and drove him up one of the fences before leaving the arena. Another bull, after the last ride of the Rodeo Saturday, went into the stalls as usual, only to come kicking and charging out into the ring again before the pickup men were able to get him back in for good.

The baseball races were Friday between the first section of the bull riders and the barrel races. Contestants had to strike at a kickball, weave through a set of cones, and kick the ball as far as possible, all with a set of goggles on.

Besides the bull rides, the event that the contestants had the most trouble with was the barrel races. Last year, the contestants were finishing their races in 13+ Seconds. One contestant, Tina Seltzer, handled the conditions well and won with a time of 14.227. She nearly crashed into the north gate, she was going so fast. But with the grounds slick from the Friday rains, contestants had trouble navigating the slick surface; one horse fell and threw their rider Saturday. Five different contestants Saturday knocked over barrels, taking a time penalty for that. 

Saturday night saw Seth complaining that he stayed in Allendale in his trailer with gorilla sized hail while the announcer was back at the Ritz Carlton in Kansas City. In Sheridan that night, there was a lot of lightning on the way home, but no rain that night following the rodeo.

The most popular event of Saturday night was the stick horse races, which drew 70 participants, forcing everyone to divide it into two heats. They all had a good time, including a kid from Eagleville who ran three quarters of the way down the ring well before the start before realizing his mistake. He then made a new buddy between then and the start of the race, and they ran all the way down and back. One girl knew the Cotton Eyed Joe dance by heart.

The highlight of the night was the chicken races, or fight, depending on what one wanted to call them. Two folks, one in a mullet, came out to race each other wearing huge red chicken suits and goggles. They could push and trip each other, and the contestants were so anxious to begin that there were some premature fisticuffs thrown. It was all in good fun. Seth the Clown and the announcer had a disagreement over whether or not the event should be called a chicken race or a chicken fight, with the announcer worrying about legal liability if it were called a chicken fight. But even though Missouri passed a Constitutional Amendment in the 1990’s to outlaw cockfighting, one of the last states in the union to do so, and even though there were Worth County Sheriff’s deputies present, there were no arrests made as they deemed that everything was all in good fun, even after the two contestants got tangled up and fell in a heap at one point.

Liz Brown Second in Barrels; Dustin Rowen Wins Twice in Carpet Ride

Liz Brown was edged out by three hundredths of a second in the barrels Friday night and took second with a time of 13.877. Melanie McKay was first with a time of 13.874. Morgan Quick of Redding was fourth in the Friday edition. 

In the other highlight of the Saturday edition of the Allendale Rodeo, Dustin Rowen won the Magic Carpet Ride races, where you drag someone along the rodeo arena on a carpet with a horse, both times. He pulled his dad, Henry, and beat out Colton Hibbs, pulling Cash Jacobs, in the first race. In the second race, he pulled Luke Riley and beat out his dad, who was pulling Katie Bacheft. 

The contestants found the bulls much tougher going Saturday night than Friday night, when two bulls were successfully ridden. Trey Hill and Ethan Schmidt both paid twice to ride bulls, but came up short both times. Local favorites Cash and Chance Jacobs were tossed off in under three seconds. 

Five local cowgirls, EmiLee Brown, Molly Miller, Liz Brown, Brylea Paxson, and Rylee Ruckman carried the flags of the Armed Forces into the ring. 

Coy Courtney won the breakaway roping with a time of 3.3. The contestants found the calves much less cooperative than last time. But two contestants in the after-hours portion of the rodeo, held after everyone has left, got winning times with Cole Younger getting a 4.3 and Madilyn Teague getting a 4.9. Jennifer Sells was fourth in the Saturday night portion with 5.0.

With nobody else having successfully gotten a qualified time in the steer wrestling, Logan Lodermont took the broken barrier penalty and won the event with a time of 6.8, plus 10 seconds for the broken barrier, for a time of 16.8. Chase Gabriel successfully rode the saddle bronc event and got a 74, as did Trey Hill in the ranch bronc event. 

The calves were much less cooperative in the roping competition, with two bolting sideways and not giving the cowboy a shot. Houston Shipley won the Saturday night portion with a score of 11.3, followed by Buck Sells with a time of 12.2. 

The team roping event was popular, but just as challenging, with at least two steers stopping before the ropes could be thrown. Only two teams successfully completed the event with Joe Teague and Derek Younger getting a time of 8.4 and the other getting a 15 second penalty for the broken barrier and only one heel catch. A few girls entered the event and one, Zoey Tunks of King City, showed she could do her part even when the man couldn’t. 

Morgan Quick Fourth in Barrels on First Night of Allendale Rodeo

Morgan Quick of Redding set a fast pace Friday night when she got a time of 13.671 in the Allendale Rodeo. But the track was fast and three other riders passed her. She still finished fourth in the event. Cami Gheer finished first with a time of 13.327. Kaitlyn Clair was second with a time of 13.482, and Kelsi Clair was third with a time of 13.618. The times at Allendale Friday were between 13 and 14 seconds; by contrast, the times at Sheridan were between 15 and 16 seconds.

Two people successfully rode the bulls at the end of the rodeo. Brandon Cook won with a ride of 73 points. Dylan Flowers was second with a ride of 72 points.

The last two events were delayed when the Ambulance got a call and had to go to Albany.

Team roping is usually one of the events the contestants have the most trouble with, but there were several successful teams Friday night. Cash Tharp and Jack Fletcher won with a time of 5.7, while the team of Ryan Tharp and Donnie McNeese was second with a time of 5.9. Despite having a fast calf, the team of Randy Littrell and Danny Smith was third with a time of 8 second.

Apparently, age was a misnomer at Allendale, as Josie Miller won the Over 40 Calf Roping with a time of 9.7, and Billy Hamilton was right behind with a time of 10.0, both beating out the youngsters. Chance Fleming won in the younger division, getting a time of 10.9.

Cody Patterson successfully rode one of the saddle broncs, getting a score of 73.

Lefty the Clown attempted to help out a victim who passed out in the rodeo arena, who looked like Paige Sherer. But his partner made off with her in the go-kart after several attempts to revive her failed hilariously. 

First Night of Allendale Rodeo

The Allendale Rodeo returned Friday and Saturday after a one year hiatus. The arena was filled up and there were plenty of attractions. The line was full at the Allendale CBC food booth, Max Garrett brought his ice cream machine, and there were plenty of other attractions. There was a Durango Steer that kids could sit on; despite his huge size and long horns, he was as gentle as a lamb. 

Lefty the Clown was the new clown for the rodeo; he kept everybody entertained with his jokes. One joke involved GPS technology, which he said was really Goat Path System; it took you to places where there wasn’t even electricity. When Zoey Tunks of King City got a spectacular 2.7 on the breakaway roping after nearly everyone else whiffed, he said that with one throw of a rope, they doubled their catches. 

Later, Lefty brought out his magic clip, and brought out a helper, who introduced herself as April, but who looked like Alyssa (Miller) Ridge. Lefty kept saying the wrong magic words, pulled a dead chicken out of his hat instead of a rabbit, and finally blew up the box that he was supposed to bring some tied ropes out of, revealing boxes of Tide, Cheer, and All Laundry Detergent. The stick horse races attracted 65 kids, and they had to run two heats, which challenges news reports that the Worth County census dropped below 2,000 for the 2020 census. Another good group participated in the boot scramble. 

A new attraction this year was the Outhouse Races, a scheme cooked up at Henry’s Place. Tyson Troutwine and Cash Jacobs were first and Henry and Dustin Rowen were second as all three occupants of the outhouse were dragged around hard. Nobody was injured. 

Two local favorites tried their hand in the events. Brylea Paxson tried her hand in the barrel races and got 17 seconds. The best competitors got below 15 seconds, with Abbey Wilson getting just over 14 to win. Chance Jacobs tried his hand at bull riding, but was flipped off his animal right off the bat. Nobody could ride the bulls and few could catch the calves in the breakaway roping, but the team roping, one of the events that contestants usually have the most trouble with, saw a lot of teams get qualified scores. One team did it in six seconds, while on another, the woman did her job but the man did not, and broke the barrier in addition.

“Dolly Parton” Appears in Allendale; Local Performers Compete

“Dolly Parton” made an appearance at the Allendale Rodeo Saturday on the second night of the rodeo. As Lefty the Clown, dressed up in a leprechaun outfit, told it, he encountered the biggest motor home he had ever seen just sitting in the middle of the road. He walked in, saw hardwood floors made of marble, and saw “Pardon Me Dolly.” She sang “Jolene,” only for the announcer to kick Lefty and “Dolly” out of the arena, because the announcer believed “Dolly” was lip-syncing. 

But then, Lefty couldn’t start the Jalopy that he had driven into the arena in during the break between the breakaway roping and the saddle bronc events. As he looked into the possible problem, the announcer suggested it wouldn’t start because it must be a Dodge. As Lefty was continuing the look into the jalopy trying to figure out what was wrong, risking life and limb due to the sparks coming out of the car, “Dolly” started up the car and drove off at high speed with Lefty clinging to the car for dear life. The two apparently had some kind of falling out in the arena.

There was also the matter of the man who got divorced in Arkansas and the man in Oklahoma who got caught in a tornado. The reaction was the same: “Dang, there goes my trailer!”

Some local talent competed in the events. Morgan Quick of Redding ran the barrels in 15.066 seconds. Liz Brown of Allendale ran the barrels in 14.931 seconds, while EmiLee Brown knocked over one of the barrels; she would have had a time of 15.273. Colton Perry and Jake Dillard nearly got a time in the team roping event, but couldn’t catch the calf’s heels. Lane Watson of New Hampton nearly had a winning time in the calf roping, but the calf kicked loose at the last minute; the calf must stay tied for at least five seconds.

The outhouse races ran for another night, with the team of Colton Perry and Nathan Thogmartin winning handily. Henry Rowen dragged his son Dustin for a lap around the arena after completing their race, while Montana Rush’s rope broke off as he was trying to pull Colton Hibbs. He came back, got it tied back on, and proceeded to pull Colton the rest of the way.

The Allendale CBC sold 450 hamburgers alone Friday night and even more Saturday night. There were so many kids in the stick horse races that they had to run three heats, including one who let the horse ride him. There were lost hats, shoes, and one broken horse, along with one kid with a potential for trick riding; she rode her horse up side down. The Lions raffle sold well, and all of the booths were well attended. 

The event which contestants had the hardest time with was the bull riding. Out of ten bulls bucking both nights, none of them were ridden. The majority of breakaway ropers successfully got their calves; although two contestants came close, nobody could catch Zoey Tunks from Friday night at 2. Seconds. The fastest calf rope time for Friday was 9.3 seconds; Tanner Schultz got it right off the bat, and nobody could catch up with the man from Leon. There were four team ropers who got a score in the event Saturday; Jeff Gray and Rodney Garber won the night with a time of 7.2. Joe Teague and Buck Owens would have gotten it faster, but only caught one heel.