Rodeo draws big crowds to FENCE

TRYON — “It’s addicting and fun,” said cowboy Conner Huffman, of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Huffman was in town this past weekend for the annual Foothills Nature Equestrian Center rodeo.

Huffman — a real cowboy who works on a cattle ranch in Fayetteville — goes to the rodeos to ride bulls. This means he climbs on top of 1,800 to 2,000-pound bucking bulls with no saddle, and tries to stay on for eight seconds.

In addition to the bull riding that brings the audience thrills and excitement, Friday and Saturday night’s rodeo included bareback and saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, team roping, team penning and calf roping.

The rodeo is an International Rodeo Association sanctioned event that attracts competition from around the world. Cowboys from both Australia and Canada competed this weekend, alongside locals such as Rebecca Johnson, of Landrum, and Leah Blanton, of Campobello.

Spokesperson for Treadway Rodeo Company Pam Treadway said the organization brought approximately 30 bucking horses and 30 bulls, along with 50 head of timed event cattle for the FENCE event. Treadway said they go to great lengths to be sure the stock is well and kindly cared for.

“People don’t realize we can’t make them buck,” she said. “These horses have a desire to buck.”

Treadway said the rodeo offers a good life to horses that, because they buck, would otherwise not have a good home and might end up in the kill pens. She also pointed out that the alternative for most bulls was to go to slaughter as well.

“We rotate the stock,” Treadway said. “They only work about eight seconds a night, which means they might work a total of two minutes in a year.”

The Treadway Rodeo Company also retires their stock to pasture after they have finished their careers.

Because the rodeo is under the sanction of the IRPA and travels to many different states, the stock also receives constant veterinary care, Treadway said. There are other things the rodeo company does to care for the stock, such as using protective pads on their horns to prevent any rope burns or undue pressure.

“I’m passionate about this,” Treadway said. “We have the ultimate respect for these animals, so we take good care of them.”

Though different from the elegant hunter/jumper, dressage or driving shows usually held at FENCE, the rodeo seems to be a favorite for young and old alike. This is the second annual rodeo FENCE has sponsored, and the organization plans to hold more.