ProRodeo Sports News - June 25, 2021

PRORODEO TRAVELING

“They (the Gladewater Round-Up committee) stuck together, and

they had their sponsors and people ready to get back out there. They set attendance records, they sold it out Saturday night and were within 400 people of selling it out Friday night. The Wednesday and Thursday performances were as full as they have ever been. The crowd was enthusiastic, and it was nice to see. You could shut off the news and look up in the grandstands and listen to them roar when someone made a good ride or a good run and think everything is all right now. It was really refreshing, and it was great to see.”

DONNIE GAY Frontier Rodeo general manager

ProRodeo Hall of Famer Donnie Gay, right, talks with tie-down roper John Douch during the Gladewater (Texas) Round-Up Rodeo June 11. James Phifer photo

BY TRACY RENCK L egendary country music artist Willie Nelson famously sings about being OnThe Road Again. That’s the case for cowboys, stock contractors and rodeo personnel as PRCA rodeos return nationwide and in Canada after having limited-capacity crowds or being canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. PRCA photographers snapped a glimpse of contract personnel working rodeos in June. Rodeos returning in full force after COVID-19-marred 2020 Road Again ON THE

Bull- fighters Richard Ratley, left, and Cody Patton, front right, jump into action to

help bull rider Jeff Askey at

the Durant (Okla.) Pro Rodeo. Wayne Gooden photo

“It was a blessing to be there. It was a whole new complete feeling because we had been off, and we worried if there were going to be rodeos again. To go there and have them pull off that rodeo like they did in Durant was pretty neat. It was an electric vibe with the crowds that were there, and it was more of a blessing that it actually happened. Everybody is getting back out to support rodeo and having fun. It pumps you up.” CODY PATTON, Bullfighter

ProRodeo Sports News 6/25/2021

ProRodeo.com

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