East Texas

By BETTY WATERS
Staff Writer

GLADEWATER — With 250-300 top-notch cowboys and cowgirls, an award-winning announcer, specialty clowns and bullfighters, Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo provides exceptional family entertainment and a slice of an American sport dating back to the late 1800s, event officials say.

“This is rodeo at its highest level,” said Don Graham, vice president of marketing and advertising.

Organizers believe the quality of the rodeo accounts for spectators filling 5,000 seats in the rodeo arena a half mile west of town on U.S. 80 four nights in early summer every year.

In recognition of the caliber rodeo staged, contestants and contract personnel voted Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo one of the top five medium outdoor rodeos out of approximately 300 in its category in the world for 2007.

Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, which sanctions the Gladewater rodeo, announced the honor during its convention in Las Vegas last December.

Another accolade came in April when the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted the Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo Association committee, the group that stages the rodeo. “This is a great achievement” by dedicated volunteers, said Hugh Bowden Jr., association president.

The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame board selects committees that have had an impact on Texas rodeo and the Gladewater committee fit the bill, said Ronna Huckaby, board secretary.

The 71st edition of Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo unfolds Wednesday through Saturday, kicking off at 8:15 nightly. Tickets are $14 for lower-tier seats and $12 for upper-tier seats. For ticket information, call 903-845-5126. Slack night competition for overflow contestants will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday and is free. Free parking will be available for all performances.

The town of Gladewater partied Saturday in preparation for start of the rodeo. Pre-rodeo festivities included a chuck wagon cook-off, parade and street dance.

“This is one of the oldest rodeos in the state and certainly the oldest rodeo and the biggest rodeo in East Texas,” Graham said. It is the best that professional rodeo has to offer, Bowden added.

Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo got its start in 1938 after months of talk among Gladewater citizens about what kind of big annual event the town could host for the surrounding East Texas area.

Jack Yates, a local merchant who organized rodeos in France during World War I, and Murray Sells, an oil operator and horseman who raised and showed purebred Gaited horses, initiated the association that spearheads the rodeo.

Its main purpose is to raise funds for scholarships for high school seniors — about $20,000 worth of scholarships, annually. Money from concession sales benefits civic organizations, including Lions, Rotary and band boosters clubs.

Cowboys compete in bareback riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, calf scramble, saddle bronc riding, team roping and bull riding, while cowgirls compete in barrel racing.

Children, usually ages 10 and younger, ride sheep, which are loaded in a miniature version of a bucking chute in the “Mutton Bustin” event. “There are 10 contestants every night. The crowd loves it and gets a big kick out of it,” Graham said.

Announcer Randy Corley returns to the Gladewater rodeo for his 18th year. Corley has been named announcer of the year 10 times.

Clowns-bullfighters will fulfill two roles — providing entertainment and protecting cowboys in the bull-riding event.

New to the Gladewater rodeo this year will be a specialty act by pro rodeo clown-barrelman-entertainer Mark Swingler. Professional bullfighters will be Mike Matt and Cory Wall.

Thursday will be “Tough Enough to Wear Pink?” night, with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation in Tyler to promote awareness of breast cancer.

Everybody is encouraged to wear pink that night — cowboys, cowgirls and even spectators.

“It has good participation,” Graham said.

WHATCHA GOT COOKIN’?: Donece Corey, of Canton, stirs a pot of mashed potatoes during the Chuck Wagon Cookoff, part of the Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo, on Saturday in Gladewater. Corey and her husband, Robert, consider the cookoff in Gladewater their favorite because “they spoil us here.”
((Staff Photo By Mark Roberts))