City of Clovis supports annual Rodeo, April 21-24

Leather boots, cowboy hats and world renown professional bull riders round up for the yearly Clovis Rodeo that will take place April 21-24. Coming up is a weekend full of famous country artists, PBR (Professional Bull Riding), jackpot roping and tasty food dishes. Celebrating its 102nd year of the Rodeo, many attend looking forward to this long standing tradition.

Over the course of four days, the Clovis rodeo grounds will be full of returners and new guests looking to seek a delicious pulled pork sandwich and sit in on an entertaining PBR competition. This year’s rodeo is welcoming two out of the top 10 professional bull riders. Traveling to Clovis will be the PBR Pro Division, where No. 5 ranked Shane Proctor and No. 9 Mike Lee will compete. Alongside them will be eleven other riders in the world top fifty category.

While Clovis remains a populated city next to Fresno, it never ceases to lose its small town appeal. For years, Clovis has continued its annual Clovis Rodeo Parade. This parade provides families and children with a window into the “Clovis way of life.”

With more than 150 floats, this parade will weave through Old Town Clovis streets with the company of 25,000 fans. From marching bands, horse drawn carriages to themed floats attendees will get a glimpse of the small town like atmosphere of Clovis. Floats in the parade can compete for a $1,500 prize for most creative. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Downtown Clovis on Apr. 23.

Throughout the rodeo event days, there are many activities to check out.  After each PBR event, a follow up concert will be performed by a local artist. On Apr. 24  will be the final Rodeo Championship and “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” day. Those attending on Sunday can wear pink to show their support for breast cancer.

Supporting the event are church organizations, schools, businesses and more. Surrounding the entrance will be pop up tents with small business made merchandise and a variety of food provided by local organizations. Starting Thursday night, country artist Jerrod Niemann will rally the rodeo crowd for the upcoming weekend of events. On Friday night, another country performer, LOCASH, will take the stage and perform. 

Member of the Rodeo Association Board, Ronnie Dunbar, has been on the board for 16 years and has never ceased to stop attending the Rodeo every year that it has been put on.

“I’m one of the directors and during the rodeo I am the chute boss,” said Dunbar. “My job is to keep the cowboys informed when they are going to ride and to keep the rodeo flowing at a nice pace. I’ve been on the board for 16 years and I’ve never missed a rodeo all 54 years of my life.”

For about 102 years the rodeo has been up and running, providing local cities with great entertainment that is featured at a reasonable cost.

“People should come to the Clovis rodeo because of the entertainment value that is provided,” said Dunbar. “We try to keep our costs down so that families can come to our rodeo, buy some food, drinks and still have money left in their pocket. It is nonstop action enjoyed by everyone. This rodeo has been around for 102 years and the committee has always backed us and supported everything we do. That’s a reason we give back so much money to the community. Without the support of the city and the people living in this great city we would’ve never lasted this long.”

Tickets can be bought online at Clovis Rodeo, the schedule of events is also posted here.

For more news, check out BRIEF: Annual Career Fair to take place Fri., April 15.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @jennypenny8835 and via Email: Jenny King.