Rodeo contestants from across the Southeast will answer the call to “Cowboy Up” as they compete for prize money and buckles during this weekend’s eighth annual Cullman County Sheriff’s Rodeo.

The two-day event, sanctioned by the Professional Cowboy Association (PCA), returns to the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center on U.S. Highway 31 North. The main events get under way at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday with free pony rides for the kids daily between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Rodeo cowboys will compete nightly for PCA points, championship belt buckles and prize money in a variety of events ranging from saddle bronc riding to calf roping and everyone’s favorite, bull riding.

“This will be our eighth year of hosting this event in Cullman and we’re looking forward to another super rodeo with outstanding competitors, some of the finest rodeo stock in the country and lots of fun for kids and adults alike,” said Lt. David Sandlin. “This is a family event and we try to have something for everyone.”

The first PCA-sanctioned event of the new year, the Sheriff’s Rodeo draws some of the top competitors in the region along with local talent.

As of Tuesday, a total of 167 entrants had signed up to compete in eight events. Twenty-one of those cowboys and cowgirls hail from Cullman County.

Local participants scheduled to compete Friday night include Clay Easter, bareback bronc riding; Evan Alley, saddle bronc riding; Josh Prichard, calf roping; Ginger Sams and Monica Grund, breakaway roping; Kirk Stallings, steer wrestling; David DeStanso, Tommy Dutton, Heath Robertson, Wes Grissom, Tyler Dutton and Tommy Dutton, team roping; Melissa Patterson and Kat Gibson, barrel racing; Justin Bates and Justin Prichard, bull riding.

Saturday night’s local participants will include Derrick Twidle, bareback bronc riding; Matt Reed, saddle bronc riding; Mitchell Hembree, steer wrestling; Angie Hembree, barrel racing; and Tyler Earwood, bull riding.

Sandlin said he expects a highlight of this year’s rodeo to once again be the wild horse race, which enlists teams of local volunteers to mount and ride a horse bareback across the arena.

“This will be our sixth year for the wild horse race and it has been a crowd favorite every year,” Sandlin said. “We’ll have teams of three people each and everyone on the team will have to work together to catch a horse, mount it and ride it from start to finish. The horses will be released into the arena all at once with only a halter and a rope. It’s up to the team to do the rest.”

The team that can successfully saddle, mount and ride their horse to the finish will share a $150 purse.

Other events planned will involve the kids and the ladies, whether it’s searching for toys in a hay stack or scrambling for a prize envelop containing a gift certificate redeemable for a pair of diamond earrings.

“Once again this year we’ll be spreading a number of envelopes around the arena and have the ladies look for the one envelope that contains the gift certificate for a pair of diamond earrings,” Sandlin said. “We’ll do that on Friday and Saturday night. Gold Rush Jewelers in Cullman is sponsoring the event and is donating the earrings.”

Youngsters in attendance will be given the opportunity to compete in the little cow pokes’ gold rush which has been described as an Easter Egg Hunt in a bale of hay.

“It’s always a lot of fun,” Sandlin said.

Rodeo events include saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, team calf roping, barrel racing, bull riding and a relatively new event at the Sheriff’s Rodeo Ñ cowgirl breakaway roping.

“Breakaway roping is just like the calf roping event for the cowboys except that the cowgirls attach their rope to their saddle with a ribbon. When they rope the calf the slack goes out of the rope and breaks the ribbon to stop the clock. They don’t have to dismount and tie up the calf like the guys do,” Sandlin said.

As an added treat, each night’s opening ceremonies will feature a special tribute to the U.S. military and veterans.

“We want everyone to make their plans to come out and join us Friday and Saturday,” said Sheriff Tyler Roden. “Once again, the proceeds from this year’s rodeo will go to benefit our School Resource Deputy Program. We’re expecting a good show and some exciting rodeo competition. This is an event that promises to provide fun for the whole family and I look forward to seeing everyone there.”

Advance tickets to the rodeo can be purchased through Thursday at the Sheriff’s Office in the Cullman County Courthouse, at the Ag Center, all Merchants Bank locations, John’s Tack and Western Wear and Jack’s Western Wear in Good Hope. Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students (age 6-18). Children under five will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Admission at the gate the night of the rodeo on Friday and Saturday will be $12 for adults and $10 for students.

Co-sponsors of the rodeo along with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office are Pepsi Cola, Borden and Brewster Contractors of Birmingham, Hired-Hand Manufacturing, Twin Pines Coal Company, WBI Trailer Sales, and American Proteins.

Concessions will be available compliments of The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office.