Boots stomp in the stands. Bulls huff in their corrals. Crowds contribute the excitement of it all. The time has come for a rodeo.
This year, Three Hills Rodeo hosted four sold-out rodeo shows throughout the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo, offering an exclusive experience to FFA members and convention attendees. The Signal Knob Middle FFA Chapter from Virginia is one of the groups that made it to the Oct. 25 matinee performance held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
“I’m pretty excited,” says Signal Knob Middle FFA President Sierra Stieringer, who was feeling all sorts of emotions before the rodeo because it was her first time attending.. “I feel like I’ll see a lot of people, and I really hope I don’t see someone get hurt.”
Although Stieringer didn’t know exactly what to expect, she knew the show’s kickoff would be a blast. She says she waited all day for the opening number, when the bull riders would come out and make the crowd go crazy.
Before the rodeo began, Stieringer and others participated in a pre-rodeo party, where they could practice their lassoing skills, get some rodeo riders’ autographs and sit on one of the bucking bulls. It wasn’t long before Stieringer took her seat, watching with anticipation as the rodeo announcer introduced the rodeo stars, who were from as near as Illinois and as far as Australia.
The Signal Knob Middle FFA Chapter didn’t make it to the rodeo by happenstance. Its advisor, Dakota Stroud, says he made sure to give his students the same experiences he had as an FFA member.
“It’s really awesome because I remember that same level of excitement I had,” Stroud says. “To be able to give that to my students is exactly the reason I’m an ag teacher.”
After watching some rides and a dance competition against a few FFA advisors as well as enjoying some concessions snacks, Stieringer made it through her first-ever rodeo.
“I would say it’s very loud and fun, but it’s also a very thrilling and cool experience to see,” she says. “It definitely set the bar high and lived up to my expectations of what I thought it was going to be.”
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