Black Rodeo brings action and family fun

“The Baddest Show on Dirt” will be at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi on Saturday with all the bucking and steer-wrestling action of the Real Cowboy Association’s seventh annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Black Rodeo.

The rodeo brings 300 cowboys from throughout the nation to compete. The professional riders participate in their choice of calf roping, bull dogging, barrel racing, bull riding and more.

Frank “Penny” Edwards, RCA president and CEO, said the growing popularity of the rodeo is bringing in new competition this year.

By the time competitors reach the finals set for Nov. 19 in Bossier City, Louisiana, they will be competing for purses of about $15,000 to $20,000 per event.

The bulls are a popular part of the spectacle. In Biloxi, the spotlight will be on Scat Cat II, a 2,200-pound bull that has yet to be successfully ridden this year.

“He’s a bad one,” Edwards said. “He has been unridden so far this year. He’s pretty wild.”

The event is family-friendly. Edwards said some of the goals of the event are to raise interest in the sport and instill values in the youth.

“We try to help kids,” he said. “A lot of them don’t know about calf roping, and they might want to be a cowboy one day. We try to teach a simple sense of responsibility, and we find that when they have it, they tend to do well.”

One hour before the rodeo begins, there will be opportunities for kids to pet and sit atop the horses. The most exciting event for children, though, will likely be the Kids Calf Scramble. With five or more calves in the ring at one time, about 200 children will be allowed to chase the calves and attempt to grab the $1, $5 or $10 bills taped to their tails. They get to keep whatever they grab.

There will be more entertainment than ever before this year with three musical acts. Performing will be Mississippi soul artist J-Wonn (“Deeper”), Louisiana rhythm and blues vocalist Teslanay (“High”) and Southern soul vocalist Miss Lady Blues (“Good Thang” and “Do It”).

The rodeo begins at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a meet and greet with riders and animals.

Tickets $14 to $22 are available at the Coliseum box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Black Rodeo brings action and family fun."