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To say the Pike County Cattlemen’s Professional Cowboy Association Championship Rodeo is a grassroots effort would be the gospel truth.

"We did start from the ground up," said Bill Hixon, past president of the Cattlemen’s association. "When we had our first rodeo, we actually had to beat back the weeds to find a place to have it. You might say we had it in the woods."

The Pike County Cattlemen were looking for a way to raise money and a board member, Kevin Davis, suggested a rodeo.

Cows and horses seemed to be a good mix so the Cattlemen began to "ask around and look around" and the more they learned the more they liked the idea.

"We knew putting on a rodeo was too big an undertaking for one organization, so we

Cattleman Park in Pike County features one of the largest covered arenas in South Alabama. The indoor facility has a capacity for more than a thousand. Betty Hixon, Pike County Cattlewomen president; Bill Hixon, Pike County Cattlemen past president and Johnny Garrett, Pike County Cattlemen president, invite all rodeo fans to attend the 16th Annual Pike County Cattlemen’s Professional Cowboy Association Championship Rodeo at Cattleman Park during Memorial Day weekend,
May 23 and 24.

Pike County Cattlemen posted a sign for their first rodeo at the site of what is now Cattleman Park. The Cattlemen had to literally beat down the weeds to make a place for that rodeo. On Memorial Day weekend, May 23 and 24, they will host the 16th Annual Pike County Cattlemen’s Association Professional Cowboy Association Championship Rodeo at Cattleman Park on U.S. Highway 231 south of Troy.

"We purchased land and got into the rodeo business in a serious way," Hixon said. "Some of us wondered if we’d done the right thing because it was a lot of hard work. I mean A LOT of hard work."

After knocking down the weeds and bushes, the Cattlemen had to set up a rodeo arena, "from scratch."

"We rented benches, portable pens, lights, everything you’d need to have a rodeo," Hixon said. "It was like a circus moving in. The only difference was the circus folks knew what they were doing. We didn’t."

It took a week of work to get the arena in place and a week to take it down and that’s when the Cattlemen hollered, "Calf rope!"

"Looking back, I don’t know how we did it," Hixon said. "But we knew we couldn’t keep doing it. We needed a permanent arena and we set our heads to getting it."

"This arena is a tremendous asset to Pike County," Hixon said. "It’s home to the Troy University Rodeo Team so we get to showcase it to folks from all across the country. We also have high school and junior rodeos and, of course, our Professional Cowboy Association (PCA) Rodeo on Memorial Day weekend."

The 2008 Pike County Cattlemen’s Association’s 16th PCA Rodeo will be held Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24, and will begin at 7:30 each night.

Cattleman Park is also an art park with its designer sign (above), bull sculpture outside and its huge Cattlemen logo (at right) inside.

And, with some of the best cowboys and cowgirls around competing there’s plenty of action and plenty of excitement.

"We have $600 added money and that’s a pretty good size purse so we get some of the top cowboys and cowgirls," Hixon said. "Some rodeos don’t have much added money but we’ve got sponsors so we do well with that."

The Pike County Cattlemen’s Association PCA Rodeo features eight events: saddle bronc riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, bareback riding, breakaway roping, cowgirl barrel racing, team roping and bull riding.

"We expect to have cowboys and cowgirls from nine states," Hixon said. "A bunch of them will come in here on Friday night, compete, leave and go to another rodeo around here. On Saturday, we’ll have a different bunch of cowboys and cowgirls. We’ll have great competition both nights, so anybody who enjoys rodeos will not want to miss either night."

The rodeo will also feature one of the country’s top announcers who will keep the fans "in the game" and entertained from start to finish.

"And, we always have one of the most popular clown acts in the country and the kids really enjoy the clown," Hixon said. "We have vendors with all kinds of rodeo related items and we’ll have pony rides for the kids and maybe the mechanical bull. And, we always have refreshments."

Cattleman Park also has an indoor facility seating more than a thousand.

"It’s a place where people can go and enjoy hamburgers, hotdogs and other snack foods," Hixon said. "We’ve got nice restrooms. We’ve just got a very nice facility, indoors and out."

Admission to the Memorial Day weekend PCA Rodeo at Cattleman Park is $8 in advance for adults and $10 at the gate and $6 in advance for students and $8 at the gate. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

"We like to encourage young people to come out and see what rodeoing is all about," Hixon said. "So, we give tickets to kids at the schools in hopes of building a future for rodeo here in Pike County." Johnny Garrett, president of the Pike County Cattlemen’s Association, said a lot of hard work, sweat and even a few tears have gone into the raising of Cattleman Park.

"But it has paid off," Garrett said. "We have one of the best facilities anywhere and it’s located right on Highway 231. Nobody has trouble finding it because all we need to say is ‘at the bull.’ The bull is a huge metal sculpture by Brundidge artist, Larry Godwin. Its strength and strong presence is symbolic of the Pike County Cattlemen and Cattlewomen who work so diligently for their community and its youth.

"We couldn’t do what we do without the Pike County Cattlewomen," Garrett said. "They are a part of all we do and they are dedicated to supporting the cattle industry in Pike County and all Alabama.

"We are also fortunate to have the support of the Pike County community. Cattleman Park is used for everything from rodeos and gospel singings to class reunions and Mardi Gras galas. Our building has the largest seating capacity of any in the county. We have 1,600 chairs and I believe we can get that many people in there. And, when we have a rodeo, we flip a switch, lights go on and we’re ready to go."

On May 23 and 24, the Pike County Cattlemen will flip the switch and the 2008 Pike County Cattlemen’s Association PCA Rodeo will be under way. And, before the dust settles, the Cattlemen will start making plans for an even bigger and better rodeo in 2009.

Jaine Treadwell is a freelance writer from Brundidge.