[July 15, 2011] Longhorn cattle drive kicks off Burke rodeo Tweet GREGORY, Jul 15, 2011 (The Daily Republic - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Fifty longhorn cattle ambled in the ditch along U.S. Highway 18 east into Gregory on Thursday morning. The cattle drive, in its second year, helps kick off the Burke Stampede Rodeo. Volunteers and donations helped create the event. "A bunch of ranchers' wives work in town and eat together and got us in trouble," laughed Chris Cernetisch, who serves as the trail boss for the ride. In reality, the women had a great idea to get people excited for the rodeo, he said. Having been a hired hand on ranches all his life, Cernetisch said he's driven cattle, buffalo and horses. "It went so smoothly last year that we had to do it again," he said. Approximately 50 people of all ages participated in the ride on horses or mules and in covered and uncovered wagons. The group drove longhorn steers, cows and calves from just north of Dallas into Burke. Despite rain Wednesday morning, they started early from Steve McCance's ranch. They stopped at Johnny Sands' ranch and the Dallas Riding Club for water Wednesday evening. Thursday morning, they started out from Dallas and arrived in Gregory by 11 a.m. The volunteers met across from the Gregory School's football field at the Jerry and Amy Marts home to rest and get water, then ambled through town for a small parade down Main Street. "One, two, three ... Yee haw!" shouted Renee Sutton, as people gathered under shaded signs and yelled with her, getting in the spirit. As the cattle were driven in the ditch along Highway 18, the state Highway Patrol helped manage traffic. The group arrived in Burke around 4:30 p.m. Thursday and stopped to water up at Dennis Matuka's place. Half the longhorns on the drive belong to Bill and Renee Sutton, who are heavily involved in the Burke Stampede Rodeo. "It takes a little self-sacrifice to make anything work," Bill Sutton said. Renee Sutton said the cattle drive gets people charged up and ready for Burke's biggest summer attraction. She added it was not a mistake or coincidence they planned the rodeo on the same weekend as Mitchell's. "We lose some of the rough stock at the northern rodeos," she said. "We hope to get some who pop over from Mitchell." She said the rural rodeos hinge on the rough stock for bull, bronc and bareback riding. Organizers at Burke also hope some of Mitchell's rodeo competitors are able to compete in the Burke Stampede. The Burke Stampede Rodeo performances are at 7 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday. To see more of The Daily Republic, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mitchellrepublic.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]