On Monday night, the track at the Lebanon Area Fair was transformed into a rodeo, featuring 22 bull entries and 50 barrel entries.
The rodeo, hosted by Redeye Rodeo, kicked off at 7:30 p.m. and ran until a bit after 10 p.m.
The Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA) is associated with the event, and all members compete over the course of the year to qualify for finals held in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (and the over $20,000 up for grabs at that event).
For a full listing of competitors, visit SEBRA’s website.
Here are LebTown’s photo highlights of the event.
Bulls
The first event of the rodeo was bull-riding, and 24 competitors tested their mettle against rowdy bulls. At the end of the night, the top six scorers competed against one another for the top title, which was won by Dakota Warnken.
Before the rodeo started, a bull-rider carried an American Flag through the track for the Star Spangled Banner. Bull-riders kneel before the rodeo for a prayer. Announcer Tom Miller led the prayer. Daniel Meyer attempts starts to lose grip from a particularly rough buck from his bull. Kicking up dust, a bull bucks its rider onto the ground while bullfighter John Fuller coaxes it out of the arena. Bullrider Marcus Brubacker attempts to maintain his grip on a bull. Aidan Caruso rides a bull as other cowboys and the audience onlook. A bull wanders the stadium after bucking its rider. Some bulls were easily herded out, while others took more time. A bull checks out a newly knocked-over dummy on the track. The dummy was subject to more than a few hits over the course of the rodeo, even losing its arm a few times. Bullfighters work to keep a bucking bull under control while its rider falls to the ground. Many riders had to run for safety after being bucked, even jumping the track fences.
Mutton Busters
In between bulls and barrels, kids who signed up in advance got to participate in the rodeo. They tried to keep their hold on sheep, under the supervision of bull-fighters who made sure they weren’t injured.
Barrels
Following the mutton-busters, 50 barrel-riders competed for the fastest time. The winner was Anna Meck of Lancaster.
A barrel racer urges her horse across the track. Barrel rider Anna Carlson rides the final stretch. Leading her horse, Lily Carlson rounds a corner. Turning a tight corner, Julia Beaty’s horse knocks over the target, adding 5 seconds to her time. Beaty did not place. Prior to barrel racing, competitors trot their horses around the track to warm up. There were 50 riders, who participated in groups of ten.
Dave “Showtime” Meyer
Popular comedian and rodeo entertainer Dave “Showtime” Meyer could be spotted throughout the rodeo bantering with announcer Tom Miller, dancing, and otherwise making the audience laugh. Meyer has over 240,000 likes on Facebook and over 12,000 subscribers on YouTube, in addition to having a presence on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter.
Dave “Showtime” Meyer sits on the track fence, safe from bulls. Meyer and announcer Tom Miller frequently had to jump onto the fence to get away from charging bulls. Dave “Showtime” Meyer poses with Lebanon Area Fair sponsor Matt Jacob next to his poster. Upon realizing Jacob was in the audience, Meyer immediately called him down to the track for a photo op. Dave “Showtime” Meyer gives CPR to the dummy, which was felled by a bull. Meyer also assisted the dummy by reattaching its arm twice throughout the rodeo. Dave “Showtime” Meyer entertains the audience by dancing in a T-rex costume. Throughout the show, Meyer did several choreographed dances in several costumes. Dave “Showtime” Meyer’s Amish character Jacob dances for the audience. Jacob is an incredibly popular Showtime character and he has made many videos on several of his platforms as Jacob. At the end of the show, Dave “Showtime” Meyer performs his own rap. Meyer was available after the show for autographs and pictures, which he advertised in his rap.
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