Tickets go on sale July 31 for 13th annual Shriner's Pro Rodeo

Tickets go on sale next week for the 13th annual Three Rivers Shrine Pro Rodeo to be held in September at the Black River Coliseum.

The rodeo will be a “fun, family-oriented event” for all ages, said Mikhail Stith, the club’s first vice president.

Sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women’s Pro Rodeo Association, the Sept. 11 and 12 event again will feature bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, saddle bronc riding, team roping, cowgirl barrel race, bull riding and cowgirl break-away roping.

New this year will be mutton busting for the youngsters, said Bobby Wicker, club president.

“The mutton busting, the kids go out and actually ride the sheep like the cowboys ride the bulls,” Wicker explained.

Also new this year, he said, will be a replay board, described as a large LED video wall.

“That’s pretty high tech; we’re stepping up our game,” he said.

This will be the club’s second year at the Black River Coliseum, having previously held its rodeos at Ray Clinton Park, Stith said.

“(The move) really opened up a lot of opportunities for us to put on a better performance,” said Stith.

Spectators, Stith said, also don’t have to contend with rain, heat or mosquitoes inside the climate-controlled coliseum.

“After moving to the coliseum, it spiked our attendance quite a bit,” said Stith, who estimated nearly 3,000 attended the 2019 event.

About 100 cowboys and cowgirls also came from across the nation to compete in last year’s rodeo.

“We are expecting even more (competitors) due to a lot of the rodeos being postponed and cancelled this year,” Stith said. “There are cowboys and cowgirls who are really trying to make up for lost money and lost points to make it to the World Finals in Las Vegas.”

As in years’ past, the stock contractor will be Generations Pro Rodeo of Ash Flat, Arkansas. ProRodeo announcer Austin Williams of Bloomfield also is returning.

This year’s “funny man” will be Todd Pettigrew, a ProRodeo clown from Sedalia, Missouri.

Entertaining and interacting with the crowd each night also will be Moolah Shrine clowns from St. Louis.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. July 31 at the Black River Coliseum box office or online at Ticketmaster.com .

VIP tickets, which include beverages, dinner and the rodeo, are $52; preferred seating is $27 and regular seating is $17.

“Children under six are free, but they will need to get a ticket at the box office,” Wicker said. “This will be an assigned-seating event,” not general admission as in years’ past.

The shriners, Wicker said, are working closely with the coliseum staff and the PRCA to meet guidelines as related to the COVID-19 pandemic as they plan the event.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Three Rivers Shrine Club, and club members say it is one of their biggest fundraisers.