Rodeo Club hosting event at Neshoba Coliseum Jan. 26
The Central Mississippi Rodeo Club is gearing up for another junior high and high school rodeo event at the Neshoba County Coliseum.
Hosted on Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27, each day has a $10 admission fee, with free entry for kidsv five and under.
The club consists of the Mississippi High School Rodeo Association and the Mississippi Junior High Rodeo and is open to any students wanting to participate.
Mecie and Kevin Beason, who both live in Neshoba County, are parent volunteers and play key roles in the club’s organization as committee members.
The rodeo aims to raise funds for their local rodeo club and brings together students from various schools, including Neshoba Central, Leake Academy, and homeschoolers.
Beason said this rodeo at the Coliseum is also a way to raise money for the students in case they win the state final rodeo in Hattiesburg next June and travel to Rock Springs, Wyoming, for the National High School Final Rodeo in July.
The rodeo’s initiative stemmed from a desire to make rodeo participation more accessible for students who often had to travel long distances for competitions.
“Most of our high school rodeos are held in south Mississippi, so our students are traveling 2 and a half to 3 hours on weekends to participate,” Beason said. “We wanted to bring the rodeo closer to home to make it easier for their friends and family to come watch.”
Beason said last year's event at the Coliseum was a success, drawing not only parents of participants but also enthusiastic visitors from the community.
The high school rodeo, featuring events like saddle bronc riding, bareback racing, breakaway, tie-down, poles, barrels, team roping, goat tying, bull riding, and steer wrestling will take place on both Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the junior high rodeo starts Saturday at 9 a.m., showcasing talents in the same competitions, along with chute dogging and ribbon roping.
“We will also have a Reined Cow Horse Competition on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m. after the junior high rodeo,” she said. “We’re excited to let our local kids take part in local rodeos, and we appreciate our local sponsors. This wouldn’t be possible without them."