This year’s International Finals Youth Rodeo officially kicks off Sunday evening with the first performance at 7 p.m. at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center.
Randy Gilbert, chairman of the Shawnee Civic and Cultural Development Authority, says official check-in begins at 8 a.m. on Friday. It will run until 11 p.m. Friday night, then reopen at 7 a.m. Saturday and remain open around the clock until noon on Sunday.
A mandatory contestants meeting is scheduled at 2 p.m. Sunday in the grandstands, he said.
Gilbert reports that 940 contestants have signed up to compete in this year’s IFYR and they represent 1,250 entries. “That’s about a 30 percent increase over a year ago,” he noted.
He attributes that to “Our rodeo being competitive, we have good stock, we a have a long history and we’re located in the central part of the United States.
“We also have a long history of our contestants going on to the IPRA and the PRCA and being successful,” Gilbert added.
He pointed out, too, “We really have good volunteers which is the key.”
Daily performances will be held at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the finals that Friday evening. The top 15 contestants in each of 10 events will compete on that Friday night when the 2023 champions will be crowned.
Several area contests from Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties are entered to compete at this year’s rodeo. They include Rylee Moore and Robert Bishop from Chandler; Bode Gatlin, Kaylin McRae, Emma Helmick, Lexi Helmick and Gavin Western, all from Meeker; Kyndra Darphin, Carney; Avery Dockrey and Madison Van Brunt from Shawnee; Audrey Fish Wellston; Roman Letka, Prague; Ryker Butler and Brayden Dowdle, McLoud.
This will be the third year a Miss Teen Rodeo USA contest is being held during the IFYR. I’m told there are nine contestants entered this year. Last year was the second time for the contest to be held at the IFYR.
This year’s Miss Teen Rodeo USA contestants include Dawson Harvey, Tennessee, Taylor Tuttle and Lily Gilliam, Oklahoma; Anna Pilkington, Alabama; Addisen Mc-Mullin and Alora Cahoon of Utah; Morgan Nutter, Colorado; Sydney Webb, California; and Josie Phillips, Texas.
Gilbert likes to call this annual event “a family affair.”
Each contestant is assured of competing at least twice in the event or events he or she is entered during the first and second rounds of competition. As I mentioned, the third round, the short go, is for those top 15 in each event after Friday morning’s performance.
Gilbert explained they will alternate the three arenas during the short go on Friday night so spectators can more easily watch each event.
Earlier this week, crews and volunteers were busy making final preparations.