Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Nicholas Honorato, 5, of Texico, holds onto his sheep Monday night during the second annual Mutton Bustin competition as part of Pioneer Days at the Curry County Events Center.
Rodeo clown Bob Halfmann carries 6-year-old Malenda Armendariz out of the arena after her run on the sheep.
Kennedy LeClear, 4, left, and Levi Seymore, 4, compare entry numbers before their Mutton Bustin competition.
For the first time in 52 years, the annual Pioneer Days Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rodeo is being held the first weekend of May instead of the first weekend of June.
Shane Clements, vice president of the Curry County Mounted Patrol, which sponsors the rodeo, said the three-day event moved to better accommodate rodeo contestants and contractors who are seeing more options during the summer.
"Places up north such as Utah are hosting events in June. So in order to prevent contestants and contractors from picking which rodeo to attend, Curry County decided to move to May, before the northern rodeos begin," Clements said.
"Rodeo is evolving just like every other sport," Clements said.
Clements said the event has always brought in crowds, throughout its history.
According to the Pioneer Days Rodeo website, the Mounted Patrol "enjoyed sponsoring western entertainment such as rodeos and for several years sponsored a championship Steer Roping on Labor Day which would attract all the top steer ropers of the nation."
The Mounted Patrol's first rodeo was on the football field of Clovis High School when the school was at Seventh and Main downtown, where the Clovis-Carver Public Library is now.
The football field, still there, was just north of Marshall Junior High.
The website details the joint history of the Mounted Patrol and the Curry County Fairgrounds.
The group bought 60 acres of land and then donated it to Curry County, and that donated land became the Curry County Fairgrounds.
The Mounted Patrol built the rodeo arena on the fairgrounds.
The rodeo has "become recognized as the best in this part of the country," according to the website.
"It's been historically known that Clovis is one of the biggest rodeos in the nation ... and we're just trying to keep that tradition alive and going," Clements said.
Clements said other than the date change, everything about the rodeo should remain the same. He said ticket prices are $15 at the door. Tickets are also available at Gebo's Farm and Ranch Store, One Stop Feed at 400 S. Hull and Bar-G Western Wear.
The annual Pioneer Days Parade is set for 10 a.m. Saturday on Main Street. The annual Pioneer Days Breakfast, which honors regional pioneers, begins at 7 a.m. Friday at the Civic Center.
The rodeo will be held at the Curry County Events Center, 7 p.m. nightly. Children 5 and under can enter for free.
Competitions will include bull riding, team roping, bronc riding and barrel racing.
Clements said they are still searching for more teams in the wild cow milking competition.
The three-day event will bring in several world champions to compete in the rodeo, said Clements.
"We're very proud. I think this is the most world champions they've had come to the rodeo in a long time," Clements said.
Past world champions scheduled to be in Clovis include Clovis native Shad Mayfield, Clements said, plus Will Lowe, Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Taos Muncy, and Erich Rogers.
