Saturday warmups start 8 days of Cavalcade
The 69th-annual International Roundup Clubs’ Cavalcade will swing into action Saturday with warm-up events at the Osage County Fairgrounds Arena.
Billed as the world’s largest amateur rodeo, Cavalcade features more than 1,500 contestants representing more than 100 riding and roping clubs. Competitions take place during four morning and four evening performances before the Cavalcade Finals on Sunday, July 20. Morning performances begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Grand Entries at 7 p.m. will precede each of the evening performances Wednesday through Saturday and the Cavalcade Finals start Sunday at 11 a.m.
Pawhuska Roundup Club hosts the Saturday evening warmups. Pole bending exhibitions from 5:30-6:30 p.m. are to be followed by barrel racing exhibitions which lead up to an Open 5D barrel racing event (with at least $1,000 in added money) starting in the arena at 8 p.m. Cavalcade offices at the Fairgrounds will be open from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, allowing for clubs to pick up their entry packets. On Monday, Cavalcade Queen Orientation is at 1 p.m. in the Fairgrounds Agriculture Building. The Queen Horsemanship contests start in the Fairgrounds Arena at 7 p.m.
The first Cavalcade performance will be at the Arena on Tuesday morning. Queen’s interviews are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Agriculture Building — which also will be the site for the Cavalcade Queen’s Barbecue and Fashion Show at 5 p.m. Advance-discount tickets are offered for the Queen’s events and regular tickets will be available at door.
Downtown Pawhuska is the venue for the Cavalcade Street Dance, which starts at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The featured entertainment for this year’s street dance will be Dolly Shine, an on-the-rise band from Texas, and the Country Showdown singing competition sponsored by KRIG Radio.
The second of the morning performances will be Wednesday morning and the initial Cavalcade Grand Entry provides a prelude for Wednesday’s opener for the evening performances. At the conclusion of each evening performance, there is to be a Dance Under the Stars beginning around 10 p.m. at the Osage County Dance area next to the arena. The Wednesday dance will feature Josh Ward.
Along with the regular morning performance at the outdoor arena, Thursday will be Kiddo Day — with related activities set to get going at 11 a.m. in the OCF’s Clarence Brantley Indoor Arena. Admission to the event is free, but there will be a $5 Kiddo Day entry fee. Another grand entry begins the Thursday evening performance. The Dance Under the Stars entertainment will be Cody Canada and The Departed, featuring Charlie Robison.
Friday is to have a morning performance and there a Cavalcade Blaze — Youth Ministry event starting at 2 p.m. After a 7 p.m. grand entry and the Friday evening performance, Jason Boland and the Stragglers will be entertaining at the Dance Under the Stars.
The 2015 Cavalcade Parade takes place Saturday morning when the procession of Cavalcaders begin moving through downtown at 10 a.m. A grand entry starts Saturday’s final evening performance and the Dance Under the Stars finale will feature the Casey Donahew Band.
Cavalcade’s Finals Performance starts at 11 a.m. Sunday and will conclude in the late afternoon. There is no grand entry for the finals.
Competitions at Cavalcade result in a Queen Coronation and the Best All-Around Club as well as honors for the club that traveled the farthest and the club which rode the farthest. Winning parade entries are also named.
Champions are decided in bareback bronc riding, bull riding, chuck wagon race, pony express race, wild cow milking and wild horse race.
Senior, junior and intermediate winners will be selected in barrel racing, pole bending, flag chasing, calf roping and team roping.
Admission for the rodeo performances are: Adults — $5 in the morning and $7 in the evening; Children 6 to 12 — $3 morning and evening; Children 5 and under — Free. Nightly Dances admission is $10 on Wednesday and $20 Thursday through Saturday.