Published: July 27, 2009 10:19 pm      

Almost the oldest

Velma rodeo ropes 119 years of fun

VELMA — It’s that time again for the 119th Annual Old Settlers Picnic.

It’s perhaps the second-oldest rodeo in America and is well known to people in the rodeo business.

Terry Sutton, one of this year’s organizers, said a rodeo in Prescott, Ariz., advertises itself as the oldest in the nation.

“They started in 1888,” Sutton said. “We started in 1890.”

This year’s picnic kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday with a ranch rodeo. At the same time Thursday and Friday nights, the regular rodeo begins.

Saturday finishes up the picnic with a parade at 11 a.m. with the rodeo beginning at 1 p.m.

There will be events at the Velma picnic grounds throughout the day Thursday and Friday, but the big event of both days will be the rodeo.

At 1 p.m. Friday, there will be old-fashioned steer roping, which is sometimes called steer tripping.

“It’s pretty close to calf roping,” Sutton said. “One man on a horse who pulls down a 700-pound steer.”

On Saturday, the Living Legend award will be handed out to someone who has provided more help than necessary to the picnic.

The award recipient is secret and will not be revealed until the award is given.

This year’s picnic may seem to be a little early, but that’s because Aug. 1 falls on a Saturday.

“We hold the picnic every first weekend in August,” Sutton said.

The event used to be held the second weekend in August, but it started to overlap with Rush Springs’ watermelon festival, “so we moved it,” he said.

“This is the first year I think we’ve had three days of the picnic in July and one day in August,” he said.

Bull riding will be Friday as part of the rodeo, and ranch bronc riding will be Saturday.

A carnival will be set up Thursday and live music will be provided.

Admission for all events is free.

“We could not do this without the community and help from our sponsors,” Sutton said.

The event is paid for through sponsorships and donations.

“Some people from the community give a significant amount of money every year for this event,” he said.

To participate in the rodeo Thursday through Saturday, call 580-444-3726 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday.