Danie M. Huffman

wdreporter2@yahoo.com

If you think riding a bull is tough, try your hand at other rodeo events.

That is, try your rodeo hand. Parker County and Texas ranches are forming teams to enter the annual Parker County Ranch Rodeo held Friday and Saturday at he Parker County Sheriff’s Posse grounds. Sept. 14 and 15.

The rodeo starts nightly at 7:30, with judging for a chuck wagon cook-off beginning around 3 p.m Saturday. Plates are $10 each, $5 for children.

Rodeo fans and family can savor a taste of the old west with dishes rustled up by “cookie” after the cook off.

For the contest, chuck wagon cooks will be provided a sirloin roast, beans, potatoes, bread and ingredients like flour, peaches and sugar for a dessert.

It’s up to “cookie” to bring his own flair in the form of cooking notions and spices.

All dishes must be prepared and cooked in Dutch ovens, as in the days of cattle drives.

Jamie McClain, cook-off coordinator, said the sky is the limit for cooks and the way they wish to prepare their dishes, as long as it stays true to the era from 1880 to 1890.

The wagons are also a part of the competition, said McClain. They will be judged for overall appearance.

“They must have a coffee grinder on the wagon, a wagon tongue harness and hitches in useable condition,” he said. “Anything they can use to enhance their wagon will give them points.”

The overall champion will receive a buckle trophy. $1,000 will go to the first place winner and other prizes will be awarded for taste in food groups.

Rodeo events include bronc riding, wild cow milking, mugging, sorting, cattle trailer loading and mutton bustin’ for kids.

Rodeo tickets are $5 each at the gate and free admission for children 10 and under.

Concession stands will be open during both nights.

Will Taylor and the Solid Country Band will play during a dance on the grounds held after Saturday’s events.

Following each night’s performances, a jam session will take place. Posse members invite the public to bring their own instruments both traditional and not-so-traditional, to pick and grin with new and old musicians.

A matched horse race begins Saturday at 3 p.m., with a final round of the top 10 contenders held at 5 p.m.

The third annual event was brought back after it died down back in the mid 1990s. Posse member Blaine Peacock is the coordinator of the event and said posse board members voted to host the event again in 2004.

“I think it’s great we keep the tradition of the old west alive,” Peacock said. “It’s what the posse was founded on back in 1947.”

Each year, the Ranch Rodeo grows in attendance and events.

When posse members rounded up ranchers in 2004, only a few teams signed up.

Last year, attendance almost doubled and this year, 16 four-man teams will compete from ranches including NT Diamond S Ranch in Novice, Texas; Ellison Carter Ranch in Santo; Addison Ranch in Lipan; Veale Ranch in Benbrook; B & S Ranch in Terrell; Nance Ranch in Aledo; Fortune Bend River Ranch in Palo Pinto; Bonds Ranch in Fort Worth; Terry Blue Cattle Co. in Palo Pinto; Decatur Livestock in Boyd; Tackett Ranch in Seymore; Arrow Head in Millsap and L7 Ranch, Taylor Land and Cattle CO. Young and Saunders Ranches from Weatherford.

The tough team to beat is reining champion Bar-9 Ranch from Terrell.

Peacock said they have taken the title for the last two consecutive years.

Although the rodeo is not sanctioned, Peacock said most folks prefer it that way.

“We wanted to keep the local ranchers involved and keep alive that home town flair,” he said.

A popular event for kids is the boot scramble held between events.

All children are invited into the arena to take off their boots and chunk them in a pile, line up and wait for the whistle to blow.

Children scramble to find their boots, put them on and run back to the line, where a posse member announces the fastest buckaroo.

Peacock said be sure to find your exact boot.

“Last year, we had two children with the same boot, but it was the wrong [size],” he said.

For more information, contact Peacock at (817) 594-5424 or log onto www.parkercountysheriffsposse.com.