Grant County Fairgrounds to house rodeo

MOSES LAKE —?Cowboys throughout the Northwest will travel to Moses Lake and the Grant County Fairgrounds this New Year’s Eve to participate in the Fifth Annual New Year’s Eve Buckin’ Blowout rodeo.

The area’s top cowboys will make their way to the Ken Ardell Pavilion at the fairgrounds Dec. 31 to compete in the final rodeo event of 2008.

The New Year’s Eve Buckin’ Blowout rodeo is sponsored by the Moses Lake Jr. Rodeo Club and will provide Columbia Basin families with an opportunity to see professional cowboys in action, said Moses Lake Jr. Rodeo Club President Lynette McMillan.

“This event is oriented toward family-fun entertainment,” she said. “It’s something to do on New Year’s Eve that the whole family can do.”

The Buckin’ Blowout rodeo begins at 5:30 p.m. with Kids’ Corner events. Kids’ Corner events include roping dummies, races and a stick-horse rodeo.

McMillan said the event will help recognize those enlisted in the military and the theme for the event is “Red, White and Blue.”

“We are honoring all military,” she said. “Everyone with a military ID gets in for free.”

The rodeo events begin at 7:30 p.m. with participating cowboys competing in bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding events, McMillan said.

“These are professional cowboys,” she said. “These are some of the top cowboys from the Northwest.”

In addition to the riding competitions, the event will also feature a businessmen donkey roping event.

Local businessmen will ride donkeys in an attempt to rope a calf during the event, McMillan said.

McMillan said there will also be a chicken scramble for children 6 to 12 years old and a balloon stomp for children younger than 6.

The Moses Lake Jr. Rodeo Club will release chickens into the arena and participating children will attempt to catch one of loose chickens during the chicken scramble.

During the balloon stomp event,  children will attempt to pop balloons on the rodeo floor.

Proceeds from the New Year’s Eve event will help the Moses Lake Jr. Rodeo Club throughout the upcoming year, McMillan said.

“Whatever we make at the gate will go to the rodeo club,” she said. “We want to take our money to better our kids.”

During the event remote control airplanes will fly throughout the pavilion dropping prizes into the crowd, McMillan said.

“We just want to put on something fun that everyone can enjoy,” she said.

Admission for the event is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12 years old and children 5 and under will be admitted free.