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Broncobusters Will Be In The Pink

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By GEOFF FOX

gfox@tampatrib.com

Published: February 20, 2009

DADE CITY - Alan John isn't the kind of guy who wears pink.

In his 29 years, in fact, the Dade City cowboy can't remember one time the color has been part of a day's wardrobe.

That changes tonight when he and more than 320 other rodeo contestants and countless spectators will don the color during the fifth-annual Pasco County Fair Championship Rodeo's Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night, which promotes breast cancer awareness.

"Pink's not my usual color, but it's for a good cause," said John, whose wife, Leanne, is chairwoman of the rodeo committee. "It's just a shirt. Most of us will probably have pink shirts on. I think it's whatever kind of pink you want to wear.

"Mine has real small checker-type designs with lines going up and across."

John, who will participate in the team-roping competition, was much more comfortable talking about the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned event this weekend.

"I'm gonna say I've been doing this since I was 12," he said. "I found out about it from some friends, and we all started doing it. I've been going ever since. This year, I finally got my PRCA permit."

Events will include bareback riding, team roping, calf roping, barrel racing and steer wrestling.

Wilton Simpson, chairman of the Pasco County Fair Association, isn't surprised the fair's rodeo has succeeded, given the number of cowboys and other rodeos in the area.

"Once you have five years, you get taken more seriously by the PRCA," he said. "They can see you're going to make it."

Competitors at the fair's rodeo can earn money to qualify for the PRCA's circuit and national circuit finals. Televised by ESPN, the national finals are held in December in Las Vegas.

Besides John, the rodeo will attract recognized local rodeo stars such as Dade City's Spunk Sasser, who has reached the national circuit finals at least 14 times, and Bob Barthle, 51, of San Antonio, who is coming out of retirement for the event.

Barthle has been wrestling steers since he was 15.

"Most of it is technique," he said, describing the challenge of bringing a 500-pound animal to the ground. "Strength is an added bonus, but it's technique more than anything. I've seen big strong burly guys try to do it, but if they can't do it right, they can't get the steer down. Whereas a lot smaller guys with the right technique can do it just like that.

"Everything you do, every move you make, leads to the next move. It's a series of things. The main thing is getting the steer caught or stopped. You have to stop him and throw him. They can throw steers in three or four seconds, but there are a lot of steps it takes to make it happen."

This year's rodeo has drawn more than 320 competitors - about 100 more than last year - with people coming from as far away as Oregon, New York and Canada, Leanne John said. She attributes the increase to the scheduling of several other rodeos in Florida and Georgia about the same time.

Steer wrasslers won't be the only ones wearing pink today.

"We did this last year, too," she said. "We have cancer survivors that will be coming in at the beginning of the rodeo, and they'll all wear pink. Plus, we give prizes to whoever wears the most articles of pink clothing. A lady from Canada won last year with 32. She has put out a challenge to some of the other survivors."

Last year's opening-night event didn't end until about 1 a.m., and organizers say this year's opener could go even longer.

After the rodeo ends on Saturday, volunteers will transform the rodeo arena into a demolition derby track for Sunday.

"That's a whole different configuration," Simpson said. "Then they have to put the motocross back together. There isn't another motocross race out there for several weeks, though, so there'll be plenty of time to grade it back out.

"It takes hundreds of man hours in volunteers to set everything up."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Pasco County Fair Championship Rodeo
WHERE: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, Dade City
WHEN: 7 p.m. today and 2:30 p.m. Saturday

COST: Free with gate admission

INFORMATION: (352) 567-6678 or www.pascocountyfair.com

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613.

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