HOEDOWN. The riders attempted to do-si-do with the bulls before a throw-down. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
CARPE DIEM. The bull riders seized every second they could hold onto in the ring. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
TYLER JILL WYATT twirls around the barrel with her horse at the rodeo. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
CORA SHETLEY, an incoming senior who has become a star on the Sullivan High School basketball court, is now shining as a barrel racer in the ring. Photo by Wyatt Hardy
Rodeo Gladiators Give Fair Audiences A Treat
Rafter 7P Rodeo Productions LLC. held bulls-and-barrels action at the Meramec Community Fair from June 21-22. The event had some local competitors and state outsiders who came to Sullivan to give the audience an unforgettable experience.
Alvin Detweiler, who hails from Warrenton, was the bull riding champion on Friday night. He has the mind of a gladiator when the gate swings open, blocking out his worries and focusing solely on getting the job done. He explained, “To be a cowboy... you got to be willing to just go out there and shut that part, block that part out. You know, just bear down and try as hard as you can. And yeah, it’s like life, you know; you got to go after it; take what you want.”
Detweiler thanks the sport for teaching him other life lessons like humility, saying after his victory, “Like tonight I won, tomorrow night I might get stepped on... So as soon as you get a little cocky, it humbles you.”
Ashley Gentry was the barrel racing winner on Saturday. The Troy competitor also shares the same gladiator mentality as Detweiler. She said, “When I walk through those gates, I forget my name. I don’t even know what’s going on in my head... I think I kind of blacked out the whole time, but I can still hear things that are going on.”
Gentry also mentioned in her interview how much she missed her boyfriend, who always cheered her on from the bleachers but was unavailable that night. Despite feeling slightly more nervous than usual, she still managed to strike all the right chords in the ring.
Gentry said the chemistry with her horse helped her overcome the pressure and was the best it had ever been. She explained, “I feel like tonight was the first night that I actually rode really well and like we were connected. I feel like we both were in sync instead of fighting with each other... You’re supposed to have a connection with your horse, and I feel like I’m starting to get a hold of mine a little better.”
When asked who she would like to thank for her barrel racing success, Gentry mentioned her coaches, boyfriend, and sponsors, such as Bluebonnet.