ALVA, Okla. — The Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rodeo Team will play host to its annual Ranger Rodeo on Thursday, Oct. 30, through Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. at the Woods County Fairgrounds Arena south of Alva.
Twenty schools from the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Central Plains Region with more than 450 students will compete for the top prize in each event. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.
“We’re so excited to host our home rodeo here for another year,” said Northwestern Rodeo head coach Cali Griffin. “It’s a great chance for us to bring over 450 contestants and their families into our community to see what Alva has to offer, and we love the opportunity to show the community what we’ve been working so hard for, and compete in front of our home crowd.”
Thursday is “Student Night” with all Northwestern students being admitted free of charge by showing a current student ID; Friday is Family Night/Calf Scramble for Kids; and Saturday is the Match of Champions.
On Friday night, teams of two men and two women from various rodeo teams will enter into a foot race with the winners taking home $100. Each team member must be in western attire with boots and hat and will go down and back the length of the arena.
Slack, or overflow contestants, will take place on Thursday at 2 p.m. for barrel racing with timed-events to follow Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m.
On Saturday night during the Match of Champions, winners of the aggregate in the breakaway roping, steer wrestling and team roping will go head-to-head against former Northwestern Rodeo standouts and National Finals Rodeo qualifiers Taylor Munsell, World Champion Jacob Edler and Shannon Frascht for the chance to win a $500 bonus. The matches will be held immediately following each event.
Northwestern Rodeo is on track to have another successful season, having participated in three rodeos so far this semester: Colby Community College, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma State University.
The Northwestern women’s team sits at fourth place in the Central Plains standings after a Reserve Championship finish at Stillwater; the men’s team currently sits at sixth in the standings.
Four Northwestern Rangers found the winner’s circle so far this semester:
Kyler Altmiller, a senior agriculture major from Canadian, Texas, started off the Ranger’s rodeo season with a team roping title at Colby’s rodeo, partnering with Oklahoma Panhandle State University rodeo team member Porter Hall.
Emmett Edler, assistant rodeo coach and graduate student from State Center, Iowa, claimed the steer wrestling title at Southeastern’s rodeo.
Savannah Greenfield, a junior health and sports science education major from Lakeview, Oregon, won the barrel racing title, and Nathan Duvall, a junior agriculture major from Henryetta, won the steer wrestling title at Oklahoma State’s rodeo.
Duvall leads the Central Plains steer wrestling standings with 315 points earned this semester. Kendyll Miller, a freshman agriculture major from Hennessey, leads the breakaway standings with 206 points.
“We are very excited to host the Northwestern Rodeo again this year,” said Brad Franz, Northwestern vice president for athletics. “Coach Griffin has done an outstanding job preparing for it. Our team has had an excellent fall rodeo circuit and will culminate with hosting our rodeo.”
Bullfighters this year are Alex Phelps and Wacey Munsell, and Tim Fuller is the announcer. The Frontier Rodeo Company of Freedom will provide the rough stock, while timed event cattle are provided by Tim Ohm, Shannon Frascht, Stockton Graves and Jacob Edler.
“I am very happy for Alva, all of Northwestern Oklahoma and the university and look forward to bringing over 450 contestants to compete and enjoy our great city,” Franz said. “It will be fun and a lot of excitement.”
For more information on the Northwestern Rodeo team visit riderangersride.com, or contact Griffin at crgriffin@nwosu.edu or (580) 327-8688.
-NW-
Media Contact:
Sean J. Doherty, University Relations Specialist
Email: sjdoherty@nwosu.edu
Phone: (580) 327-8480