COWBOYS, MUSIC & LOTS OF BULLS: JAYCEE BOOTHEEL RODEO WILL BEGIN WEDNESDAY

SIKESTON -- Experiencing too much bull lately? Then don't come to Sikeston soon.

The 1999 Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, starting Wednesday, is going to be one of the bigger shows of horses, cowboys and bulls in the country once again.

Over 40,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event, which offers more than $100,000 in prize money, said Greg Turbow, general chairman for this year's rodeo.

Top-line musical entertainment will feature Toby Keith, Tracy Byrd, Kenny Chesney, and on opening night both Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw.

But it's an especially good year for bulls, Turbow said.

"The bull fights this year will be exceptional," he said.

The bull fights Turbow talks about aren't in the Spanish style of red capes and matadors. It's a chance for rodeo clowns to show their stuff.

The job of the clowns, aside from amusement, is to guide angry animals away from fallen cowboys.

"If it's an easy night, the crowd doesn't really get to see what the clown really goes through," Turbow said. "These clowns have to read those animals."

The rodeo bull fights pit a clown against a bull. The clown receives points for getting close to the bull, touching his head, and maneuvering him around barrels, said Clay Gaillard, spokesman for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. A second man in a barrel steps in if there's trouble.

The clown has up to 40 seconds to be scored by two judges, and if he's able, another 30 seconds. Both the clown and the bull get scores, Gaillard said.

"The bull gets points for being aggressive or moving fast around the ring," he said.

The bull fighting was so popular last year that the Jaycees decided to move the event from the end of the rodeo to the middle, Turbow said.

The rodeo will feature Jerry Norton, of Mitchell, S.D., who is the 1998 PRCA bull fighting champion. The association's bull of the year, King Kong, also will be in Sikeston.

This will be Norton's 10th year participating in Sikeston's rodeo, Turbow said.

"When he first came he wasn't a big name yet," Turbow said. "We try to stay with people who are good, and over the years they continually get better."

The type of cowboy that comes to rodeo is important, Turbow said. They seek out performers and entertainers who smile easily and join in the activities rather than reclusive stars, he said.

"We want not only good people, but those who are easy to deal with and fun to be around," Turbow said. "Most people would be glad to have any of our contract acts as a next-door neighbor."

The Jaycees are doing something right, Gaillard said. Nothing but good things are said about Sikeston by the cowboys who attend, he said.

"The first couple of weeks of August are particularly busy for rodeo," he said. "There are a lot of events and a lot of prize money out there at the same time, and they are still able to bring top performers to Sikeston."

For more information on the rodeo, call 1-800-455-2855 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

RODEO ACTIVITIES

Wednesday, Aug. 11:

-- Special sales and pony rides in historic downtown (each day of rodeo).

-- Sidewalk sales at the Sikeston factory outlet stores (each day of rodeo).

-- Rodeo parade at 5 p.m.

-- Pre-rodeo activities starting at 7 p.m. at the rodeo grounds.

--Rodeo starting at 7:30 p.m., with musical entertainment by Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw.

Thursday, Aug. 12:

-- Pre-rodeo activities starting at 7 p.m. at the rodeo grounds.

-- Rodeo starting at 7:30 p.m., with musical entertainment by Toby Keith.

Friday, Aug. 13:

-- A craft fair sponsored by the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ramada Inn.

-- Rodeo roundup sales from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the River Birch Antique Gallery.

-- Pre-rodeo activities starting at 7 p.m. at the rodeo grounds.

-- Rodeo starting at 7:30 p.m., with musical entertainment by Tracy Byrd.

Saturday, Aug. 14:

-- Farmer's market from 8 a.m. until noon at the Union Pacific depot in downtown Sikeston.

-- Rodeo roundup sales from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the River Birch Antique Gallery.

-- The fifth annual Redneck Barbeque Cookoff Contest, sponsored by the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Rotary Park.

-- Lunch with the rodeo clowns, sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at American Legion Park. Admission is $1.50 per child. In case of rain, lunch will be moved to Health Facilities Rehab Center on Front Street next to the park.

-- Pre-rodeo activities starting at 7 p.m. at the rodeo grounds.

-- Rodeo starting at 7:30 p.m., with musical entertainment by Kenny Chesney.