CLAREMORE, Okla. – When good money is up for grabs, cowboys will find a way to get it.
That’s why 50 of the top bull riders and saddle bronc riders in rodeo will make their way to northeast Oklahoma in three weeks to compete in the Claremore’s Extreme Roughstock presented by the Kubota Center of Oklahoma, set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov 4, at the Claremore Expo Center.
“There will be a lot of activity around town in celebration of Will Rogers’ birthday, and we thought this would be a great way to bring the cowboys to town and put on a heck of a show,” said David Petty, the event’s organizer who noted it will be in conjunction with Mickey Perry’s Bucking for Kids. “We’re going to have 25 bull riders and 25 bronc riders and several stock contractors so that we have as many good bucking bulls and horses as possible.
“This is also a way we can give to the Child Advocates of Northeast Oklahoma, which will receive a portion of the proceeds from the event.”
Promoters are in the process of receiving entries, but there has been high interest from regular qualifiers to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. The list of contestants should be released in the next week, but it should be a who’s who of the greatest stars in the game.
A big reason for that is the prize money and this time of year. The contestants will battle for their share of the purse, which is expected to be $7,500 in each event. Based on the entry fees of the 25 men in each event, which is mixed in with the committee-raised money, the winner will earn $3,500.
That’s incentive for cowboys who make their living riding bucking animals.
“We want the best cowboys we can get,” said Petty, noting that tickets can be purchased at buy.ticketforce.com. “We want to put on the best show possible. This will be a high-energy event that is loaded with action from start to finish. We’ve got the best personnel in rodeo helping us produce an amazing event, so I’m very excited about what everyone is about to experience.”
The competition will include freestyle bullfighting, where five athletic men will duel face to face with aggressive and agile fighting bulls that are bred specifically for this kind of fight.
But that’s just a small part of the entertainment puzzle; the action will be called by Andy Stewart, who has been nominated for Announcer of the Year numerous times; he will be joined by entertainer/clown Cody Sosebee, a four-time nominee for Clown of the Year.
“When you want to produce the best event, you’ve got to bring in the best,” Petty said. “Andy is one of my favorite announcers and brings a ton of energy. Cody is just plain funny, and he has some of the greatest acts in rodeo. It’s going to be highly entertaining.”
That, of course, is the primary goal. Just as importantly, though, is the competition. With the best cowboys battling the best animals in rodeo, it all adds up to a great evening in Claremore.