FORT SMITH, Ark. — For 90 years Fort Smith has been home to Arkansas’ exciting rodeos. This year, Old Fort Days Rodeo is welcoming a new event involving bull riding for kids.
Tuesday, May 23, was the rodeo's first day of hosting youth bull riding on family night.
“The good thing about having the youth bull riding is it’s better for kids to start any sport, any activity, at a younger age where they learn technique, they learn safety, they work their bodies out to strengthen the areas of the bodies they need for the competition,” Rodeo Chairman Jerry Efurd said.
The event is divided into six different age categories:
- Walk Trot - ages 3-5
- Pee-wee - ages 6-8
- Jr mini - ages 9-11
- Senior mini - ages 12-14
- Jr. bulls - ages 15-16
- Novice ages 17-18
A local rodeo association called the Professional Youth Roughtstock Association (PYRA) started this year with 40-50 kids in the organization.
Jimmy Silva, the owner of PYRA, says his son Jesse has his own series.
“We start putting them on bulls at 3 years old and the kids that are here tonight are actually the kids. My son rides also he’s 15 and he puts on his own series,” said Silva.
The series includes one rodeo a month for four months.
“The score is kept and it climbs you know throughout the four months and then we do the belt buckles at the end of the series,” said Silva.
This isn’t their son’s first rodeo. He competed in another rodeo last year and will compete again this Saturday for a cash prize.
“I got on Friday and Saturday but I bucked off both nights but the second night I won a buckle,” Jesse recalled.
Tuesday night was family night at the rodeo which was the start of the Walk Trot age divisions for ages 3 to 5 years old and the bulls in the rodeo are from the Jesse James Association.
“And it’s a good deal for kids, we’re trying to teach them responsibility and respect. That’s something that’s short nowadays,” Silva explained.
For some parents, the sport is a safety concern but the Silvas say most things in life involve risks.
“Everything in life is dangerous, you can’t get into a car and drive down the road without facing a little bit of danger. Yes, accidents do happen but that’s everything in life you can’t be afraid to live,” said Silva.
The Old Fort Days Rodeo will continue until Saturday, June 3 with the last event starting at 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets to the event, or to learn more, click here.
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