LONGHORN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO AT SHOW ME CENTER FEBRUARY 25-27

The seventh annual Longhorn World Championship Rodeo will return to the Show Me Center Feb. 25-27 with someone who is no stranger to boots or the Bootheel.

Jaye Anders, who grew up in Malden, and attended Southeast Missouri State, will be one of the trick riders displaying her skills Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Anders will be one of four women trick riders of the Longhorn Pony Express performing acrobatics on horseback.

Riding her Morgan gelding, Secky, Anders performs such feats as the Cossack Suicide Drag, the Flying Hippodrome Stand, and the frightening Tail Drag, all at breakneck speeds.

A dance and gymnastics teacher and former Missouri State champion cowgirl barrel racer, Anders indicated the trick is in the trust.

"Trick riding is a demonstration of trust in a well-trained animal," said Anders. "To bring pure excitement to this brand of gymnastics on horseback, there can be no slow loping horses."

When Anders is not performing with her horse across the United States, in Mexico, Japan or Europe, she is at home in Alexandria, La.

She owns a real estate appraisal business and operates a breeding and training facility raising registered Paint horses.

Anders will combine her high speeds, agility and superb horsemanship when she joins the Longhorn Pony Express trick riders.

The Longhorn Pony Express is a group of four professional and talented women who display trick and fancy riding skills at Longhorn Rodeo performances.

The rodeo production will salute the fearless, funny rodeo clowns and the competition will feature some 250 cowboys and cowgirls barrel racing, calf roping and bull riding.

Each performance will also feature Longhorn's popular bull riding bonus with a cash prize of at least $500 to the cowboy who is successful in riding the bonus bull.

The bonus money is increased $500 each time it is not collected.