MONEY IS NICE, BUT MAN VS. ANIMAL LURES COWBOYS TO SIKESTON

SIKESTON -- The money is important. But that isn't what ultimately lures cowboys like Craig Andre to the Sikeston Jaycees Bootheel Rodeo.

It is the test. It is man's will, physical strength and riding skill against the spirit of the animal he has drawn. The tougher the animal, the better the challenge. The mystery of not knowing who will prevail after a mere seven or eight ticks of the clock makes all the broken bones, lonesome highways and nondescript hotels seem like minor inconveniences.

Andre was willing to drive 900 miles to find out if he could conquer the bull he heard he drew a few weeks ago. "I was originally going to compete in a rodeo in Rapid City, but when I heard that there would be a better bull here I decided to drop out of that one and enter this rodeo," said Andre, who entered the bull-riding competition Thursday night.

Bull riding and other rodeo competition will continue through Saturday at the 42nd annual Sikeston rodeo.

Before he could even think about his ride, Andre realized he was up against some stiff competition. "Look here," he said, pointing to the current list of leaders inside the competitors' tent. "K.J. Pletcher has 87 points after his first ride. That's going to be real tough to beat. But that's why you come to rodeos like this. You know there are going to be some good bull riders here."

Andre only competes in rodeos for the fun of it. "If I can make some money, that's great, but that's not why I'm in it," he said. "I've got a part-time job on a ranch in Pierre, S.D. I like knowing that I have someplace to go back to after each rodeo."

Like Andre, Bodie Read has been competing in the professional rodeo circuit for several years. Read makes a living working for a muffler shop in Denton, Texas. But on the weekends Read hits the highways for another rodeo.

"I guess you could say I'm a weekend warrior," said Read, who entered the calf-roping competition. "I've been doing this part time for a while. I guess by now it's in my blood so much it would be hard to quit. But I know that day will come."

Read figured he would need to trim his time of 4.6 seconds down to around 4 seconds to have a serious shot at the top money in his event. "You can make up to $5,000 or $6,000 in this event, but you've got to be around four seconds to have any realistic chance," he said. "This is my first time at this rodeo, so I don't know what kind of competition I'm up against. But that makes it even more interesting."

Justin Jackson of Denver, Colo., competes in rodeos full time. "This will be my 80th rodeo this year," said Jackson, who was competing in the steer-wrestling competition. "I'm having a good year, but last year I had to stay out of a lot of rodeos because of injuries"

Jackson, 23, has known for some time he was destined for a bright future in the rodeo circuit. "I did well enough in high school to get a full ride to the University of Wyoming," he said. "I know I can do well, but there are a lot of other guys who feel the same way. There are a lot of good people in this business. I guess that's what I love almost as much as the competition."