THE COWBOYS ARE COMIN' TO TOWN; LONGHORN RODEO RETURNS TO THE SHOW ME CENTER

Southeast Missouri rodeo fans will see 257 cowboys and cowgirls compete for $28,000 in prize money this weekend at the Show Me Center.

The Longhorn Rodeo, sanctioned for world championship points by the international Pro Rodeo Association, is making its fifth annual appearance in Cape Girardeau.

Some of the best known world champion bull riders will compete this weekend, said Johna Cravens with the rodeo. Competition will begin tonight for 73 bullriders.

Shows are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the Show Me Center box office.

Contestants are from 24 states and will compete in bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, cowgirl barrel racing, calf roping and bull riding.

Among the 275 contestants, 16 are current or former world champions who collectively have won 63 world titles. Heading the list is 22-time world champion Dan Dailey of Edmond, Okla.

Several competitors are from Southeast Missouri, including Kris Rudd of Poplar Bluff. At 30, Rudd is a part-time agriculture instructor at Three Rivers Community College and is one of the top bareback bronc riders in world championship standings. He is a graduate of Sikeston High School.

Other contestants from the area are Al Cornado of Perryville, Steven Holekamp of Jackson, and Shane Burnett, Randy Albright and Tammy McCoin, all of Poplar Bluff.

Cravens said this year cowboys can win additional prize money by taking on one of the "Challenge Bulls."

"They can win at least $500 in prize money on these challenge bulls," she said.

Cravens said the rodeo will open with a patriotic theme. "It's one of our signature openings," she said. "We have cowgirls riding white horses under a spotlight. It's really dramatic."

A new attraction this year is trick rider Angelo Iodice, Cravens said. Originally from New York, Iodice learned to ride in a riding stable and read books to learn to trick ride, Cravens said.

Each show will include championship riders, Cravens said. "They will be competing throughout the weekend, so each show is guaranteed to be pretty exciting."