NEWELL—The summer playday rodeo series in Newell kicked off on July 1 at the rodeo grounds. Organized by the Newell Community Club, the rodeos have become a staple summer event in the community, attracting competitors from near and afar.
Rodeo-goers get to compete in several events: barrel racing, pole bending, flag racing, goat tying/untying, and breakaway roping, plus stick horse and dummy roping events for younger cowboys and cowgirls.
Morgan Wulf said the Newell Community Club is in the process of getting a grant and is currently waiting to see whether they were approved. “Right now our main focus is the grandstands,” she said. “But we plan to get a writeup of what we’ve raised and what we’re going to do, so we can show everyone what’s coming.”
Wulf also explained that new prizes will be handed out this year. Prizes “were repetitive in the past,” she said, so “we’re trying to do things we haven’t done. Broaden the variety of prizes.”
The series will wrap up with its final rodeo on July 22. An awards ceremony and potluck will be held the following Monday, July 29.
Duke Erickson races as fast as possible in the stick horse barrels. He placed 1st with a time of 9.94.
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Joey Christiansen steers her horse around the third barrel before racing to the finish in the 4-6 age division.
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Madi Cooper speeds through her 11-14 pole bending run with dust flying.
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