PRORODEO Sports News - Nov. 7, 2025

AUSTIN CURTIS NAMED 2025 JOHN JUSTIN STANDARD OF THE WEST COMMITTEEMAN OF THE YEAR By Alex Dodd

A ustin Curtis, the chairman of the Sikeston (Mo.) Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, has been selected as the PRCA’s 2025 John Justin Standard of the West Committeeman of the Year. Justin Boots created the John Justin Standard of the West program to recog nize the hundreds of thou sands of hours of work that volunteer rodeo committee members donate to put on rodeos. “It’s quite the honor,”

The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo held its 73rd event this past year at Art Saunders Arena. The rodeo works to give back to a variety of local organiza tions, including the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center to improve the quality of life for children with disabil ities, the City of Sikeston and the local school system. Beyond the rodeo’s sup port of charity initiatives, Curtis said the fans make the Sikeston Jaycee Booth eel Rodeo a special event

Curtis told the PRORODEO Sports News. “We spend so much time and effort doing what we do and trying to give back to our community. PRORODEO is the avenue that we’re allowed to do that through. So to be recognized for that is a pretty big deal. I’m very humbled.” Curtis first started volunteering for the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo eight years ago after attending his home town rodeo for years. Curtis said he got involved with the committee through the Jaycees, a leadership development and civic orga nization for young professionals, and a desire to leave the world better than it was when he came into it. The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo proved the best avenue to serve his community. “I’m very proud to represent my hometown, where I’m from, where I grew up and all the people who I love and care about,” Curtis said. “Our committee is very special and I can’t really put it into words.”

that the community looks forward to every summer. “It’s the atmosphere,” Curtis said. “We’ve got quite the crowd. I know it’s one hundred degrees almost every night, but it’s a very special time in Sikeston. It’s some thing that our town looks forward to. There’s a lot of hype around the event, and when it actually comes, the crowd is just amazing.” Each year, Justin Boots recognizes 125 outstanding vol unteers from PRCA rodeos around the country through its John Justin Standard of the West program. PRCA rodeos vote on the individual to receive the PRCA’s John Justin Committeeman of the Year Award, whose dedica tion represents the deeds of those volunteers. Curtis will be recognized with this year’s honor at the PRCA Awards Banquet, the event will be held Dec. 3 at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, leading up to the 2025 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.

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Nov. 7, 2025