Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

SWAR District Fair underway

It's showtime folks!

Yes, it's time for the 57th Annual Southwest Arkansas Livestock Show and Rodeo. This year's event is from Sept. 25-29 at the Third District Coliseum in Hope's Fair Park.

Once again, Razorback Amusements will be providing the rides and midway games.

According to Third District Secretary Don Fuller, there will be four or five spectacular rides (rides costing in the area of $500,000 and normally seen at state fairs are considered to be spectaculars), including the Ali Baba, High Roller and Wipeout.

Along with these, there will be at least 13 kiddie rides for the younger crowd.

The midway, Fuller said, will have about 50 games where the fair goers can try their luck and skill.

The Sam Andrews Rodeo Company of Bagwell, Texas, will again provide the livestock for the rodeo.

Andrews traditionally has the best stock on the circuit, with several of his animals being featured at the National Finals Rodeo annually in Las Vegas. Last year, according to Fuller, 11 of Andrews's bulls went to the NFR, while five or six of his horses were showcased.

This year will be no different, Fuller said, as Andrews will be bringing in some of his best livestock for the show. Two of the bulls he's expected to bring are "Bokemon" and "Pokemon", sons of the infamous "Bodacious" a bull rode three or four times during its career.

The rodeo cowboys like this as they earn points toward going to the NFR themselves at the SWAR Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is a Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) event.

Along with being a PRCA event, Fuller said, the rodeo is also one of the Dodge Truck Rodeos, with York Gary Autoplex of Nashville a co-sponsor of the event.

At last year's rodeo, 10 of the top 15 cowboys in the nation were at Hope, all vying for points toward the NFR and all hoping to win a new Dodge truck. Fuller said a new truck is given to the winner of each division.

This year, the cowboys and livestock are being "matched" by a computer. When the cowboy entered the rodeo, their records were entered into a computer, matching their skills with comparable animals. This should make the rodeo more exciting than ever.

Rudy Burns, the "Ragin' Cajun" will be the rodeo intermission entertainment. Burns, a former rodeo clown, keeps the audience in stitches with his antics, and will be bringing his famous trained mule with him this year. Fuller wasn't sure exactly what the mule does in the act, but with Burns's track record, it will be entertaining.

Before and after the rodeo Friday and Saturday night, music lovers will be entertained by "Runnin' On Empty."

Because of the tragedy in New York and Washington, D.C., Fuller said, the opening of this year's rodeo will be different. Plans are underway at this time to modify it and make it more patriotic.

But there's more to the Southwest Arkansas Livestock Show and Rodeo than the rodeo. There's some of the best livestock in the state, along with excellent examples of horticulture, food preservation, arts and crafts and flowers.

To go with this, there is the petting zoo, always popular among the younger set. However, there will be no exotic animals at this year's petting zoo because of health regulations.

Area 4-H clubs are in charge of this year's petting zoo, called the "First National Bank Petting Zoo."

The entries, Fuller said, are either at capacity or exceeding capacity in all areas.

But, before an animal is allowed on the grounds, it must be tested, with the owner showing the health papers at the time of entry.

Market goats, he said, will be one of the main attractions in livestock, with about 150 head expected.

Last year there were more than 2,200 entries in the arts and crafts division, and it looks as though this number will be beaten as the entries continued to pour in.

There were 1,300 entries last year in the food preservation division, Fuller said. These figures, too, are expected to be exceeded because of the favorable growing conditions in the region this summer.

People begin working on these entries in May or June, he said.

The midway opened Tuesday night with Family Night, where all rides were $1.

Armband Day is Thursday, where those purchasing armbands get to ride the rides and get in the gate free. Armbands will be $12 in advance and $13 at the gate.

Thursday is also Merchant Night at the rodeo, where those who buy tickets in advance get them for $4 for adults and $2 for children. These tickets can only be bought in advance, they will not be available at the gate.

Those buying rodeo tickets ahead of time also get in the gate for $1.

Advance tickets can be purchased at First National Bank, Harvest Foods, Brookshire's and Double M Western Wear.