Butterfield Stage Days Rodeo, festival on tap

Published Thursday, May 8, 2008

By Denny Deady

Wise County folks are invited to paint their county pink on Friday to promote breast cancer awareness.

Residents throughout the county are asked to wear pink to work on Friday and to the peformance that night of the Butterfield Stage Days Dodge PRCA Rodeo at the Bridgeport Riding Club Arena on FM 920. The two-night event is the county's only PRCA rodeo and the $45,000 purse is expected to draw some of the top names in professional rodeo. Wise County's own Trevor Brazile, World Champion All Around Cowboy, will compete in both tie-down and team roping during the 7:30 p.m. performance Friday and will be in steer roping during the Friday morning slack. As of Monday, 348 contestants had signed up to participate.

Friday night's performance is dedicated to breast cancer awareness through the "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" promotion, sponsored locally by Aflac and by the rodeo's title sponsor, Karl Klement Chrysler Dodge Jeep. Mary Williams and Marci Craddock, local Aflac representatives, have rounded up a group of volunteers to man a booth at the rodeo Friday to sell Tough Enough to Wear Pink merchandise. Klement Dodge General Manager Robert Bishop will also be on hand in his Wrangler pink shirt to support the promotion.

Proceeds from the sale of merchandise will benefit Mary's Gift, a program that provides free mammograms to uninsured and underinsured women in Wise County. The program is administered countywide by the Wise Regional Health Foundation. Rodeo fans who may not have anything pink to wear Friday night will be able to purchase pink items at the arena. Merchandise is also on sale now at the Aflac office in Bridgeport by calling (940) 683-4408.

Schools throughout Wise County have been asked to participate by sponsoring a fundraiser to benefit Tough Enough to Wear Pink.

The rodeo will also benefit the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce, Bridgeport Riding Club, Bridgeport Lions Club and Crosstimbers A&M Club.

Elementary school children in the county have already been building rodeo excitement though a coloring contest, sponsored by Dodge and Karl Klement. Students colored a drawing of a Dodge truck and a panel of judges selected winners. Chico third grader Alyxis Baker is the grand prize winner. Other district winners are Caelia McNabb, Chico Elementary second grader; Riley Kelton, Carson Elementary third grader, representing the Decatur district; Nayeli Ortiz, Bridgeport Elementary kindergarten; and Jamie Talley, Paradise Elementary third grader.

The rodeo performances cap the annual Butterfield Stage Days celebration in Bridgeport. A rodeo kick off hamburger supper for sponsors and volunteers is Wednesday at the arena. Carnival rides will be set up in Harwood Park beginning Thursday. Thursday and Friday are armband nights from 6 to 10 p.m. Rides are open all day Saturday. Booth spaces for Saturday's Butterfield Stage Days Festival are available through the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce, (940) 683-2076. The Bridgeport Idol contest will be held Saturday in the park and the city's new stage coach will be on display.

Organizers hope Saturday's rodeo parade at 5 p.m. is the biggest in the event's history. The theme is "150 Years of History." To enter, call the chamber or fax an entry form to Susan Miller at (940) 627-8542.

During the Saturday night performance of the rodeo, the queen and princess will be crowned. Last year's royalty, Queen Stephanie Revels, a sophomore at Decatur High School and Princess Harley Dearing of Paradise, a Bridgeport Intermediate third grader, will be on hand. This year's queen contestants are Ashlee Smith, 16, a Paradise High School junior, daughter of Tracie Smith and Curtis Smith, Stevi Roubion, 18, of Paradise, a senior at North Hills Private School and daughter of Steve and Sondra Roubion and Mandy Strickland, 15, a Bridgeport High School freshman and daughter of John Strickland.

Princess contestants are Bailee Alexander, 9, a fourth grader at Boyd Intermediate School, daughter of Kevin and Clover Alexander and Hope Dennie, 10, of Runaway Bay, a fifth grader at Bridgeport Intermediate School and daughter of Curt and Sheila Moore and Chuck Dennie.

The city of Bridgeport is sponsoring the timed events in the rodeo and RGA Home Care is the roughstock events sponsor. Tickets, at $12 each, are on sale from the queen and princess contestants, at Bridgeport City Hall, the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce, First Financial Bank in Bridgeport and Decatur, Gail's Pharmacy, Karl Klement Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Decatur, David's Western Store in Decatur and First State Bank in Bridgeport. Tickets will also be sold at the festival on Saturday.

In addition to the night performances, fans will also see plenty of action at the slack. All roping and steer wrestling slack is Friday at 8 a.m., and barrel racing slack is Saturday at 8 a.m. Brazile will participate in steer roping Friday morning and tie down and team roping at 7:30 that night.

The Cowgirl Chicks and Gizmo McCracken will entertain at the night performances. Following each performance, fans are invited to a dance at the arena. Cody Robbins and Family Tradition will play for the Friday night dance and Texas 281 will play Saturday night.