Rodeo, concert this weekend at Ag Center

The rodeo is coming to town, and will draw riders from all over the United States to compete. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, or PRCA, will bring their professional circuit rodeo competition to the Muhlenberg County Agriculture and Convention Center in Powderly, for the Bluegrass Pro Rodeo on Aug. 12 and 13.

This event is part of the Great Lakes circuit for the PRCA, which includes Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. It will be the only PRCA rodeo in the state of Kentucky, and is a qualifying event for cowboys and cowgirls to move on to future PRCA rodeos around the county.

The level of competition in the PRCA is high, requiring riders to win events in order to move on to the next phase of competition, said Ag Center director Alivia Burns. It’s the oldest rodeo-sanctioning organization in the world, involved in about 650 rodeos each year.

Riders in the PRCA must first purchase a permit to compete in the circuit. After that, they have to win $1,000 to move to the next level, and they qualify for a pro card. Then, the competitions become an opportunity for the riders to win cash awards at each rodeo.

There will be several events held over the two-night engagement. There will be barrel racing, team roping, steer wrestling, calf roping, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, and breakaway roping.

The rodeo will be from 7 to 9 p.m. each evening, but that’s not all. On Friday when the gates open at 5 p.m., Central City Tourism Commission will be sponsoring some family fun before the rodeo begins. There will be airbrush face painting, a balloon artist, and a mechanical bull for the kids to try.

After the Friday night rodeo, Central City Tourism will present a concert by 181 South.

On Saturday evening, after the rodeo events are over, Greenville Tourism Commission will present a concert by Terri Clark. Clark is a platinum country music recording artist, and has been nominated for Grammy and Country Music Association awards. Hailing from Canada, she has received 19 Canadian Country Music Association awards and is a member of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.

The cost of admission is $20 for 12 and up, $15 for children 7-11 and free for kids under 6, and includes the rodeo and concerts for each night. Tickets must be purchased for each evening of the rodeo.

Burns has first-hand experience with rodeos, as a former competitor herself. Her sister, Lauren Conkwright, is currently a PRCA rider and will be the only person from the county competing at the rodeo this weekend.

“Last year, Lauren went to one PRCA rodeo, and she won,” Burns said. “She was able to get her pro card and made it to the Great Lakes circuit finals.” Her event is breakaway roping, which is when a rider ropes a calf.

These events have their roots in historic cowboy culture, Burns said. For example, roping is something cowboys still do today when they need to capture a calf for vaccinations.

Conkwright said she has really enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, but she’s looking forward to a hometown rodeo. “This year is exceptionally exciting, my family has put a lot of hard work into making this rodeo a great production for the community to come out and enjoy,” she said. “With this being the first PRCA rodeo, aside from our Great Lakes Circuit Finals, in the state of Kentucky, I believe it’s going to be huge.”

The rodeo will be a prosperous one for winning riders, Burns said. Every PRCA rodeo has a committee who sets prize money goals for the event, and the local committee was able to raise $30,000 to award winners at the rodeo this weekend.

“There is no point system within the PRCA,” Burns said, “it’s just money. And whoever has the most money at the end of the year goes to circuit finals.”

With thousands of dollars on the line, you can bet the competition will be fierce. Burns hopes this will make for a successful event and a return of PRCA to the Ag Center next year.