Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Southwest District Fair Begins Sept. 28 In Hope

As the sun sets on local county fairs, it rises on the Southwest Arkansas Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Local winners from across Southwest Arkansas will be busy preparing their entries for the district event, all hoping for a chance to go to the next level  the Arkansas State Fair.

This year's district livestock show and rodeo will be held from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 in Hope at Fair Park.

The event will kick off with a parade though downtown Hope, with all of the queen contestants dressed in their finery to show why they should win the title of Miss SWAR Fair Queen.

This will be followed by the opening of the midway, once again featuring rides from Razorback Amusements.

According to district secretary Don Fuller, there should be 28 rides set up on the fairgrounds, with several new major and spectacular rides for the public to enjoy.

Armband day will be from 2-10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30. With an armband, visitors can ride all the rides they can stand for a reduced price. Armbands, Fuller said, can be purchased in advance from First National Bank in Hope, Brookshire's, Harvest Foods and Double M Western Wear.

Those buying armbands in advance can get in the gate free Tuesday night, but the discounts for rides will only be good for Thursday evening.

A country music show will be held in front of the Third District Coliseum to help keep the visitors entertained.

But the big fun starts Thursday night and runs through Saturday as the rodeo gets underway.

Keith Isley will be the featured entertainer during intermission at the rodeo. This rodeo clown/comedian is making his first visit to the area.

Isley has been in the rodeo business since 1972, when he began at the tender age of 15, starting out as a bareback rider.

He went from bareback riding to bullfighting, and when the opportunity arose, he became a clown.

His routine includes trick roping, high and low impact rodeo clown aerobics, trick riding and a routine with animals. Isley's act is being sponsored by Brazzell-Cornish Funeral Home.

However, rodeo fans will get to see the top 60 bull riders in the nation. Only wranglers finishing in the top 10 from other rodeos are being allowed to enter this event.

Along with the $5,000 purse, the riders will be competing for points toward the National Finals Rodeo later this year in Las Vegas.

And the top barrel racers in the country will be on hand as well. Fuller said he expects a field of 40 to be entered in the Hope event.

For those who enjoy games of chance, there will be between 50 and 60 game booths on the fairgrounds, with enough variety to give everyone something to challenge their skills.

There's still more. Fuller said more exhibits than ever are expected in most categories, while there will be some new divisions.

A horticulture show for flowers has been added to this year's floral event. It goes along with the silk flower show and potted plants.

Overall, there will be 45 classes for horticulture.

A junior commercial gilt show has been added to the swine division. This year, Fuller said, a jackpot market hog show will pay the winner a cool $500 for the grand champion, while the reserve champ takes home $250 and class winners earn $75 each.

Last year there were more than 1,300 entries in the food division, with at least the same number expected to enter again this year.

In 1998, he said, more than 1,600 entries were made in the arts and crafts categories, and again, a like number is expected for the 1999 version, if not more.

Fuller said 400 to 500 hogs are expected for the swine show, with more than 100 sheep anticipated, and at least 80 goats. This isn't counting the hundreds of head of cattle, nor the rabbit show.

The rabbit show, Fuller said, is an open event anyone can enter. It will be held Saturday morning.

For the cattle, he said, some 450 head were entered last year, with at least this many expected this year.

So many head of cattle are entered a new barn was built and filled for the 1998 event.

Winners for steer, graded heifer, market hog, market sheep, goats and rabbit will receive a belt buckle for their efforts.

Getting back to the rodeo, Fuller said it is again a Dodge Truck Rodeo with Hope Auto one of the local co-sponsors. Cowboys involved in the Dodge rodeos all compete for a new truck.

There is also an event for the younger set again this year. A calf scramble will be held for the children in the stands.

Advance tickets for the rodeo will be $5 for adults and $3 for children, from the aforementioned merchants. At the gate, tickets will be $8 and $4. Those buying advance rodeo tickets for all three nights will get into the grounds for $1.

However, the fun will begin Sunday, Sept. 26, two days before the district tilt begins, with an open 4-D barrel race jackpot at the Coliseum.

There is $1,500 added money involved for the riders, with books opening at noon.

An exhibition will be held between 2-3:30 p.m. with tickets $5 each.

The Open 4-D will begin at 4 o'clock, with the barrel racing being conducted under NBHA rules, with an official dress code required for the contestants.

The entry fee for this event is $35 plus a $5 office charge, for a total of $40.

Negative Coggins testing is required for the horses.

The payout will be = the second added to each division starting with the fastest time of the race.

For more information call Debbie Rhodes, 870-887-3354; Susan Phillips, 870-777-9480; Debbie Fisher, 870-777-3959; or Don Fuller at 870-777-5111, or 777-8192.