Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Joe's Boot Shop calf roping set

The 6th Annual Joe’s Boot Shop Calf Roping will be held Thursday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 25th, at the Curry County Events Center. Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s events are open to the public, Sunday afternoon’s events will require a $10 ticket.

The Annual Joe’s Boot Shop Calf Roping is now considered to the largest in the nation. This year, the event promises to be even bigger and better! The four-day program includes roping competitions for all skill levels; two match events; the double muggin’; a dummy ropin’; foot races; a chuck wagon cook-off; a Desert Cruzers Classic Car show and People’s Choice contest; a New Mexico High School Rodeo and pie auction; a chuck wagon breakfast, a cowboy church service, and many other surprises!

Highlights of Sunday’s events include:

The Joe’s Boot Shop and ARIAT Boots Open Roping, where 10 National Finals Rodeo veterans are among the 90 ropers already entered, Monty Lewis, Ryan Jarrett, Blair Burk, Doug Pharr, Hunter Herrin, Clint Cooper and Jerome Schneeberger are among the featured ropers in the Open field, as are Josh Peek, Cade Swor and Stran Smith. The Open Roping is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 25th, with $500 fees and $10,000 added money, and a prize Stran Smith Ultimate Saddle from Cactus Saddlery.

The Ariat 8-Man Elimination Match is a new event featuring eight PRCA Tie-Down Ropers competing for the $5,000 added money. Entered are Cody Ohl – 6-time World Champion; Ryan Jarrett – 2005 All-Around World Champion; Stran Smith - 2008 Tie-Down World Champion; Monty Lewis – 2004 Tie-Down World Champion; Josh Peek – 2010 5-Timed Event Champion; Blair Burk – 14-Time WNFR Qualifier; Tuf Cooper – 2009 NFR Average Winner; and J.D. Kibbe of Portales, NM – PRCA Contender. Two ropers will be eliminated in each round. Spectators may enter to win a $500 Joe’s Boot Shop gift certificate by naming the winner of the match and most closely predicting the average time on the winner’s last two calves.

The Local Cowboy Match was a hit at last year’s event. The Local Cowboy Match features four ropers and 16 calves – all in the arena at once. In working style, each roper must rope and tie four calves to stop the clock and earn the winner’s share of the pot. The event, which features $500 per man fees and $1,000 added money, is a true test of a cowboy’s skill, horsemanship, strategy and most of all, stamina. It is also a spectator’s dream, with non-stop action in every corner of the arena. Contestants include Jared Eshleman of Clovis, Klay Kirkes of Carlsbad, NM; Payton Terry of Clovis and Dillon Lewis of Clovis. This event will be run between rounds of the Open Calf Roping on Sunday, April 25th. Spectators may enter to win a $250 Joe’s Boot Shop gift certificate by naming the winner of the match and most closely predicting the winner’s time.

A new event this year is the Dusty Rhodes Memorial Calf Roping, honoring the late son of Joe & Darla Rhodes. Open to contestants age 19 and under, this event awards a $1,000 college scholarship to the winner, and a trophy buckle to second place.

The Double Muggin, sponsored by Joe’s Boot Shop. Limited to 20 two-man teams, the double mugging has been big a huge hit for the past two years. Contestants team up to rope and tie yearling-sized cattle. The fun begins when the cowboys dismount and attempt to get a 650 lb. bovine on its side and tie three legs. The event features $100 fees and $1,000 in added money, and will run between rounds of the Open Calf Roping on Sunday, April 25th.

Foot Races, one for age 60 and under, and the other for age 60 and over. Cowboy boots and cowboy hat required. Winner receives a pair of Boulet Smooth Ostrich boots. Race will be held between rounds of the Open, on Sunday, April 25th.

All of Sunday’s calf roping events are included with a $10 admission. Tickets are available at Joe’s Boot Shop, or at the gate at of the new Curry County Events Center. If you buy a pair of boots at Joe’s Boot Shop, you get a free ticket. Every ticket holder at the arena on Sunday is eligible to win a $500 gift certificate from Joe’s Boot Shop. The drawing will be held on Sunday afternoon.

The highlight of Saturday’s events is the “Duke of the Dutch Ovens” Chuck Wagon Cook-Off. The event will feature 13 of the top chuck wagon cooks and crews in the Southwest and a limited number of ticket holders will get the chance to sample the food at noon. Chicken-fried steak, beans, potatoes, biscuits, gravy, peach cobbler and drinks will be served. The cost is $15 per person and tickets are limited. A chuck wagon cook-off ticket will get you a free ticket to Sunday’s big calf roping events.

The top overall chuck wagon cook will be crowned “The Duke of the Dutch Ovens” and will receive a bronze sculpture crafted by New Mexico artist Curtis Fort. A chuck wagon breakfast will be served Sunday with a Cowboy Church service from 7:30 am to 9 am. Tickets will be $8. But tickets for both the chuck wagon cook-off on Saturday, April 24th and the chuck wagon breakfast on Sunday, April 25th, can be bought for $20 – a savings of $3 over purchasing them separately. The Cowboy Church service will be lead by Pat Boone of Elida, NM, Lee Walker of Amarillo, TX and Derril Mitchell of Tolar, NM. Among the wagons competing are two crews from Cannon AFB at the Cannon Air Commando Wagon and the Maulsby Angus Wagon.

The Duke of the Dutch Ovens Cook-Off and breakfast will benefit the Miss Rodeo New Mexico Pageant and Scholarships.

Also on Saturday, the Desert Cruzers will host a Classic Car Show and People’s Choice Contest at the Curry County Fairgrounds. Prizes will be awarded to the top three cars named by the people’s votes from 10 am to 4 PM on Saturday. The show and contest is open to the public. Prizes will be awarded at the calf roping on Sunday, after 1 PM.

A NM High School Rodeo will be taking place at the Mounted Patrol Arena Friday, April 23 through Sunday April 25th. Members of the NMHSRA will be holding a Pie Basket Memorial Auction, in memory of Mike Hillman and Jesse Andrus of Roswell, NM.

Joe's Boot Shop will have special hours during the event to accommodate ropers and roping fans. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, April 23rd & 24th, and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 25th.

Sponsors for the event include Ariat Boots; The Citizens Bank of Clovis; Cactus Saddlery; Bender GM World; KSEL-FM Country; Nocona Boots; Boulet Boots; Justin Boots; Twisted X Boots; Wrangler; Cactus Ropes; Panhandle Slim; Cinch; Dutton Bits; Anderson Bean Boots; Total Equine Horse Feed; The Bank of Clovis; KGNC Radio; El Bilingue Newspaper; Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium; ASCO Rentals, Bluebonnet Feeds; Alltech; Bill Hill Silversmiths; Fast Back Ropes; M&F Western Products; and Joe’s Boot Shop.