FAIR ORGANIZERS IN THE SADDLE WITH NEW EVENT; OFFICIALS HOPE BULL-RIDING COMPETITION CATCHES ON AT FAIR

In an effort to bring different attractions to the SEMO District Fair, officials Wednesday introduced a new event: the Big Bull Chute-Out.

The event features rodeo's most popular competition the wild bull ride.

Wendell Ratchford, producer of Wild Horse Rodeo Productions in Wynnewood, Okla., said the single-event rodeo is steadily gaining popularity across the nation.

"It's been around in the western states for a while, but it's becoming one of the fastest-growing spectator sports from the concept that you get to see a lot of bullriding," Ratchford said. "Bullriding is the number-one spectator sport in rodeo and one of the top draws in all sports."

A large crowd attended the Wednesday event. In past years, the fair had scheduled musical acts for entertainment Wednesday through Saturday.

Attendance at the fair Wednesday was estimated at between 11,000 and 12,000.

But Sam Below of the SEMO District Fair Board said it was time to try something new and different.

"This is the first time we've ever had a rodeo event at the fair," he said. "But Wednesday nights always have been kind of a slow night for us, and we wanted to bring something different to the fair.

"These bull shoot-outs have been doing pretty good in different parts of the country, and, of course, Sikeston does very well with the rodeo. We kind of like to get something new every now and then."

Sikeston each year hosts the Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, one of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's top 10 rodeos in the nation. The event draws top cowboys from throughout the United States and Canada.

Although the "Chute-Out" is much smaller than a full-fledged rodeo, it does include one of the sport's most exciting events.

About 25 cowboys were entered in the event, each riding twice. Ratchford said that he brought 50 bulls to the fair to ensure each rider would have a different bull for each ride. And these bulls aren't patsies, he said.

"We should have eight to 10 bulls here that should be featured in the international rodeo finals," Ratchford said. "Out of 60 bulls picked for the finals, we should have about 10."

But Ratchford said that because riders are scored on the quality of bulls they ride, many cowboys hope to draw the most ornery "mossy horn" in the bunch.

"The better the bull, the better the score," he said. "A lot of the time, the trick is to ride those tough bulls. When you're looking at a couple grand in prize money, those cowboys don't mind getting on the tougher bulls."

The top four riders in each "go-around" won money Wednesday, as did the riders with the best average scores, giving each cowboy three chances to place.

"The top rider should take home about $1,500," Ratchford said. "Cowboys are eligible to participate in five more bull rides this week, so a good rider can make some fair money."

Ratchford said the "Chute-Out" also includes "specialty acts," including trick roping, riding and shooting.

"All of it is good entertainment, some of it classical rodeo entertainment and some comical," he said. "We've also got three clowns, and two of them are bull fighters, who will actually fight three bulls."

Ratchford also is behind the Longhorn Rodeo held annually at the Show Me Center. He said he hopes the bull-riding event can be as popular in the Cape Girardeau area.

"In January, we've filled the Show Me Center three times," he said. "It's a real good show.

"We feel like we sell entertainment in the finest form for the whole family. We've got something for all ages at the fair, from the little kids to grandpa and grandma.

"I think, being the first year for this, the word will spread and next year it will be better," he said. "But I think we drew a pretty good crowd this year."

The fair will continue tonight with Neal McCoy the featured grandstand entertainment beginning at 7:30 p.m. The third annual Old Type Fiddler's Contest also is scheduled for 2 p.m. today at the R&R Tent. Headline entertainment Friday will be Pirates of the Mississippi, and on Saturday, Billy Dean.

Top winners in the Chute-Out Wednesday were Raymond Neal of Memphis, Johhny Woods of Nashville, Tenn. and Blake Burns of Marietta, Okla.