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The 38th annual Shelby County Cattlemen’s Rodeo Took place Feb. 21-22 alongside Columbiana’s annual Cowboy Day festivities. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – Alabama red clay kicked up in the air as a rider darted down the Shelby County Exhibition Center’s arena. As the excited crowd looked on, the rider and horse almost seemed as one as they carefully maneuvered around the barrels in a pattern before returning. Despite the spectacle of the sight, it was just one moment in a series of displays during the return of one of Columbiana’s longest running traditions.

The 38th annual Shelby County Cattlemen’s Rodeo took place Feb. 21-22 alongside Columbiana’s annual Cowboy Day festivities—offering local families an action-packed, wild west weekend.

“We had pretty good crowds at all three performances,” said Clifton Garrett, president of the Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association. “It was just a comfortable night of good fun.”

The Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association contracted with Ken Treadway Rodeo in order to make the event possible and brought athletes to the event to compete from across the Southeast.

“Usually, if you’ve got a crowd that knows a little bit about what’s going on, everybody gets excited,” Garrett said. “The better the riders, the better the spectators.”

The rodeo began on Friday, Feb. 21 with a second show held for the public on Saturday, Feb. 22. The shows featured a variety of activities to captivate attendees, including barrel racing, breakaway roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, bulldogging and bull riding.

While entertaining the crowds, the riders were also analyzed by two judges. Riders were given a combined score based upon their performance and the performance of the animal. The overall winner of the rodeo received prize money.

On Saturday, the association held a show that saw 150 special needs kids and their families attend for free and be given goodie bags.

“We invited our special needs families to come, and we provided them entrance into the rodeo and fed them,” Garrett said.

Garrett shared that the association holds a show for special needs kids and their families each year and he said they wanted to show the families that they are cared for.

“The goal was to give them something they could do as a family but not be so costly to them that they can’t afford it,” Garrett said. “It was just a way for us to show that they’re cared for and that somebody does care about them and their situation.”

The funds raised from both nights of the rodeo, after paying for prize money, went toward the Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association as it helps with different needs in the community.

The association gives funds to the FFA and works with 4H groups and the Shelby County Explorers Program. The Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association also distributes 10 scholarships each year to local high school students.

“We feel like we’re making use of the money that we make,” Garrett said. “We make money to turn around and give it away.”

Garrett said that Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association has seen a lot of new faces in recent years and that it looks like the organization is moving in a positive direction.

“We’ve had a lot of younger people show up and come in and help us the last couple of years which is very encouraging to me,” Garrett said. “I think that that was the most positive outlook that I got out of it. We did have a good year but the good thing is the future looks bright.”

Those interested in learning more about the Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association and its various philanthropic events may follow its official Facebook page at Facebook.com/bamabeef.

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