SEMO News Service
SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo has always been a part of Blake Wethington's life.
As a child, his mother, Kim Alley, would bring him to see the rodeo action, to laugh at the clowns and to listen to the music. Even then he said he wanted to be a part of it.
As he grew older, Wethington got to know some of the Sikeston Jaycees. Then he knew he would be part of it.
"You had to be 21 to becomea Jaycee. I turned 21 in March and was a Jaycee by May," Wethington recalled. "I just fell right in."
Joining the Jaycees in 2008, Wethington set his goal at one day being chairman of the rodeo. This year he has taken those reins.
According to Wethington, the road to the chairmanship began with a strong back and willingness to work hard. He listened, he watched and he made suggestions when he thought there might be a better way.
Over the past nine years, Wethington has served on the Jaycee Executive Board and on the Rodeo Board. Twice he was chairman of the Pens and Chutes Committee and also served as chairman of the Ticket Office.
In 2015, he ran and was elected rodeo co-chairman. After serving in 2016 as co-chair with Chairman Zach Fayette, Wethington stepped into the job of chairman.
"After you have worked for so long ... you have worked this hard, you might as well take over some day," Wethington said. "I was taught to be a leader out there (on the rodeo grounds). It was my time to lead."
As the 2017 rodeo chairman, Wethington has overseen a major expansion in the arena with the addition of a new announcer's booth, party porch and approximately 78 new seats in the Cattle Baron section. Taking a cue from major league stadiums, the seats were sold in advance, with buyers purchasing the rights to those seats for their lifetime.
"I'm very proud and thankful for the people who bought PSLs (private seat license) to make this possible. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be able to do this project," he said about the expansion.
Also Wethington has worked closely with Ralph Distributing to bring the Budweiser clydesdale to the Sikeston rodeo for the first time.
The famed team and rig will make an appearance at the rodeo on Wednesday and Thursday. A single clydesdale will be out front Friday where the public can get a close-up look at the horse and take photographs. On Saturday, the clydesdales will be featured in the parade.
In addition, Wethington said, the public can watch the horses readied each day at the Sikeston Sports Complex behind the Little League football field.
Work as the 2017 chairman began almost as soon as the lights went out on the 2016 Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. In addition to overseeing the construction and working to bring the Budweiser clydesdales to Sikeston, Wethington and several Rodeo Board members went to Colorado Springs, Colo., for a conference at the Cowboy Hall of Fame. Also last fall, he spent a week in Las Vegas meeting with other rodeo committees, learning more about rodeo and getting tips on how to hire people, what the best acts are and what is up and coming in the business. The last two nights they attended the National Finals Rodeo.
By spring the pace picked up as construction got underway and work divided among the committees. Wethington has plenty of praise for his co-chairman Ross Merideth, the committee chairmen and members of the Rodeo Board.
"(The chairmanship) has really been easy to deal with especially since I have worked with these guys for so many years now," he said. "It is a group effort to get everybody to tug in the right direction and we do. ... If everybody is pulling in the right direction, everything works pretty smooth."
Although admittedly laid back, Wethington said taking on the job of rodeo chairman has taught him there are times he needs to sit down, take a deep breath and just look at things.
"Don't get overwhelmed. Just because it is a big project, you have to remember you have the right guys helping you and everything will go just fine," he explained.
The other thing he has learned: "Don't be afraid or don't be too proud to ask a question - not asking could make you look worse than asking."
The downside to being chairman is the amount of time it takes. Wethington said he looks at it as a second full-time job to the one he holds with the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities. He said he knew it would consume two full years of his life.
As the rodeo's opening nears, Wethington said he typically is up by 5:30 a.m. and heading to work at BMU. Throughout the day he will balance his two roles, taking phone calls from Jaycees, contractors or others wanting information on the rodeo. After he gets off work at 3:30 p.m., he heads to the rodeo grounds to pitch in on what manual labor needs to be done, pausing at 6 p.m. for any meetings then it is back to the rodeo grounds by 7 p.m.
"At 9 o'clock or 9:30, I go home and start all over again," he said.
Wethington said he is fortunate to have an understanding family, girlfriend and employer who have enabled him to tackle the workload.
At Wednesday night's opening, Wethington jokes he looks forward the most to good weather. He also wants to see how rodeo fans react to the new look of the arena.
"I really am looking forward to having patrons in the seats and everybody having a good time and the flow of the rodeo being successful," he said.
He also intends to take time to watch the rodeo action. Wethington noted the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo draws some of the top cowboys from across the country. Also he likes the fast-paced excitement of the bullfights.
When the rodeo ends, Wethington said with a laugh he looks forward to a lot less phone calls and to the conclusion of another successful rodeo.
He said he hopes Sikeston residents are excited about the four days of rodeo and all the activities surrounding the annual event.
"We put on a rodeo, a bull fight and a concert all in one night. You can't really go do that anywhere else," Wethington said. "I hope the public understands that everything they do for us does come back to them in the ways we give our donations out. When the public comes to support us, in turn they are supporting their own town and the surrounding area."
And for the younger fans watching the rodeo action, just like he did growing up, he hopes they want to become a part of the rodeo and the Jaycees.
"I think being a Sikeston Jaycee makes you a great leader. I think you build people skills that you can't build anywhere else," he said, noting the 150 members of the Jaycees are all volunteering their time as they pitch in to make the rodeo a success.
"I hope the youth continue to want to be Sikeston Jaycees because it will take them to lead the charge in the future," he concluded. "It will take young new guys to come in there and say, 'Hey we want to do something better than the last guy. We want to make it bigger and better.' We hope that will continue."