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PV boasts rich rodeo heritage
Jun 24, 2009 (Pauls Valley Daily Democrat - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Among its many claims to fame, Pauls Valley has a history that is rich in rodeo tradition.
Pauls Valley Roundup Club President Jerry Norton said Thursday will mark the kickoff of the city's 64th annual Heritage Days Rodeo.
"Pauls Valley has held a professional rodeo for the last 64 consecutive years -- not just a local rodeo, but a professional rodeo," Norton explained.
"It's either been a PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association) event or an IPRA (International Professional Rodeo Association) event," he said.
"The first local professional rodeo dates back to the charter of the Pauls Valley Roundup Club in 1945. The founders did such a good job of wording the bylaws that they have remained unchanged."
Competitors come from all over the country to take part in the annual Heritage Days Rodeo and one of the reasons is the highly unique and favorable condition of the arena.
"We have one of the best rodeos in the country and one of the things that makes it so special is the soil we use in the arena," Norton said.
"We have people come all the time who want to know what kind of dirt it is. They take soil samples so they can duplicate the dirt for their arenas.
"The dirt is Washita River bottom soil and the texture and consistency makes it especially suitable for rodeo activities and handling livestock."
Besides the annual rodeo's impressive longevity and the PV Roundup Club arena's special qualities, Norton said Pauls Valley also holds the distinction of being the birthplace of one of the top rodeo organizations in the world -- the IPRA.
"The International Professional Rodeo Association was first started right here in Pauls Valley by Chuck Smith back in 1957," Norton noted.
"The organization has grown from its humble beginnings in this part of Garvin County to now include 33 states in America as well as four Canadian provinces."
This week's rodeo is scheduled to run from Thursday through Saturday, beginning at 8 p.m. nightly.
Advance tickets are $7 for adults or $3 for children, or may be purchased at the gate for $8 and $4.
Tickets are available at Norton's Jewelry, Steppin' Out Western Wear, Daugherty Insurance or from rodeo queen candidates Challan Bailey and Jessica Ince.
For more information call 405-238-2776.
To see more of the Pauls Valley Daily Democrat or to subscribe to the newspaper,
go to http://paulsvalleydailydemocrat.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Pauls Valley
Daily Democrat, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For
reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or
847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group
Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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