In professional rodeo, even if “sky water” (rain) pours down, the stock must be “bucked out.” Same thing happens at the Stick Horse Rodeo.
Hundreds of first-graders in the Springdale Public Schools were scheduled to ride their ponies in Parsons Stadium on Friday, but rain sent them scurrying for the barns. But like all true rodeo riders, they knew to “Cowboy Up,” and enjoyed the Stick Horse Rodeo on their home ranges. Events were moved from the rodeo grounds and held in each school.
The Stick Horse Rodeo kicked off about 20 years ago, created by Gayln Hargis, then a first-grade teacher at Parson Hills Elementary School. The rodeo serves as the final, championship “go round” of an economics unit.
“We talk abour scarcity, wants and needs,” said Amber Usdrowski, a first-grade teacher at Parson Hills. “And the rodeo has it’s own, different culture.”
In her class, students colored pictures of cowboy boots for a boot design contest, while country music from Old Crow Medicine Show played in the background. Later in the day, the kids learned line dancing from instructional videos found online.
Kids were proud to show their back numbers — just like the contestants wear in big rodeos. Lupita Martinez-Martinez wore No. 70. And she knew what a real cowgirl needs: “We need some hats, and a horse to ride on,” she said. “We need clothes to put on — a shirt, pants and some boots.”
Mychael Dickerson at Sonora Elementary knew horses need food. “Horses always eat healthy,” he said, listing apples and bananas as two choices.
Brayden Conner and Jacob Simpson at Sonora identified needs of horses: water and “food to feed the horses.”
But they stood strong about what they wanted.
“Toys,” said Simpson.
“A football,” said Conner.
“I know, a Razorback helmet,” Simpson added quickly, just like making a Christmas wish list.
In Heather Moyer’s room at Sonora, students rode their stick horses around a mock barrel-racing pattern. In Mandy Gower’s room, they competed against each other in a pole-bending event. Both barrel racing and pole bending are regular competition for older kids in local junior rodeo associations.
“Go, Zoey, go! Go, Zoey, go!” The kids encouraged their classmate.
Jenna Bombiak, who wore pink cowboy boots, rode her horse Diamond through the pattern. “It was hard because I’ve never done it before,” she admitted.
“I didn’t fall off,” Simpson said.
“I almost did. Whoa!” Conner added.
Cowboys and cowgirls wore school T-shirts and bandanas around their necks at Bayyari Elementary. They had their faces painted and ate s’mores made of cereal, with gummy worms standing in for rattlesnakes and Hot Tamales candy for hot peppers, explained teacher Loretta Mansell.
“I got a mustache, and I’m a girl!” Khriz Orozco exclaimed.
“This week we’ve talked about the wants and needs of cowboys, goods and services, supply and demand,” Mansell said. Another lesson focused on the working of an assembly line, and students used that process to create pictures of rodeo clowns. At Sonora, they relied on an assembly line to make their stick horses.
But all the Bayyari kids twittered like a rider about to climb on the back of a bull when a special guest arrived: Ronald McDonald in a big, foam cowboy hat. A rodeo clown for a day, he traveled to each school Friday, as did local country singer Marshal Mitchell.
Standing out as a legend among all the young cowpokes: Bianca Castellanos in Usdrowski’s class. She actually had ridden a horse.
“I was 6 when I rode a horse,” related the 7-year-old wearing pink suede boots lined with fleece. “My dad has a friend, and he has a horse. We went and got our horse and took it to my dad’s friend.
“We named it Magic. My dad and my brother always go to feed it every day. It’s brown and white, and it’s gonna have a baby.”
The Rodeo of the Ozarks partners with the school district for the Stick Horse Rodeo, and board members look forward to the event each year.
“Rodeo is a major part of the Springdale community,” said Jim Rollins, Springdale schools superintendent. He retired from the rodeo board earlier this year. “It’s a centerpiece during the summer months. People participating during those nights bring significant money to Springdale.
“Students get a chance to be learners about our local economy and what the roots of agribusiness are about. I hope some of them will consider agri-business their future careers.”
LAURINDA JOENKS IS A FEATURES REPORTER AT THE MORNING NEWS AND HAS LIVED IN SPRINGDALE SINCE 1990.