Championship Rodeo Returns

Cowboy up! It's rodeo time again in Bartow County. 

The excitement begins on Friday and ends on Saturday at the Bartow County Saddle Club Arena off Burnt Hickory Road. The rodeo starts each night at 8 p.m.

The theme is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink.” All fans are asked to join the rodeo contestants, as they wear pink in an effort to raise awareness about breast cancer. The goal is to “Pink-Out” the rodeo arena.

Bridgett Phillips of Phillips Rodeo Productions has successfully fought a battle with the disease, undergoing surgery and treatment requiring a near year-long stay in her native state of Oklahoma.

Rodeo events planned are bareback riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping and bull riding. Some of the other events that will be held each night are the kid’s calf scramble and the wild cow milking contest. Both of these events prove to be very poplar with the crowd each year.

Organizers say the rodeo provides good wholesome entertainment. "Each night, the rodeo begins with the Star Spangled Banner and a patriotic grand entry that will make you proud to be an American. You will sit and visit with your friends and neighbors and ooh and awe over the skill of the rodeo athletes and the tenacity of the bulls," the press release states. "Eight seconds may fly by when you are sitting at your desk at work or on the assembly line, but then you see the cowboy sink, spur, hold your breath, because time will stand still."

The event also is expected to help boost the local economy by bringing in people from all over the country who will buy gas, stop and eat, or shop at local stores.

Admission is due at the gate and is $10 for adults and $5 for children 4 to 8 but children 3 and under are free. Call 706-218-0382 for more information or visit the rodeo's Facebook page here.