Bulls, bucking broncos and a whole lot of bruises

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Saddle broncs are just one of seven events scheduled for this weekend’s rodeo.

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Watch for falling cowboys this weekend at the Dakota County Fairgrounds.

On Saturday, for the first time in more than a decade, the fairgrounds will welcome a professional rodeo to its grandstand. The seven-event, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned competition will feature everything from barrel racing to bull riding.

The fairgrounds have played host to rodeos in recent years, but most have been amateur or high school rodeos. This one, sanctioned by professional rodeo’s governing body, is a much bigger deal.

“It’s kind of like the major leagues of rodeo,” said Sharon Simon, rodeo planner for Dakota Rodeo Company.

Dakota Rodeo Company has its headquarters in Webster and has a branch in Stillwater, Okla.

100 or so cowboys will come from around the country to compete this weekend, and some of the bulls will likely look familiar to anyone who has tuned into professional bull riding competitions on television.

Cowboys will compete in bull riding, bareback and saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and calf roping, among other events.

“We try to keep it non-stop action,” Simon said. “People aren’t going to be sitting there twiddling their thumbs, wondering what to do. It’s 2 1/2 hours of action.”

Making sure all that activity happens the way it’s supposed to takes planning. Simon has been working for about six months to put everything together. She said Saturday’s rodeo should have something for just about everyone. There will be free pony rides for kids before the competition starts, and a calf scramble during the night in which kids will have a chance to run around the ring trying to remove a ribbon from a young cow.

“It’s a family event,” Simon said. “There’s a lot of things to do.”

The rodeo begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the fairgrounds. 4-H members get $2 off of an adult ticket. For more information call 612-839-9568.

Tags: arts and entertainment, lifestyle, rodeo