‘Those guys have to make a living.’ Once canceled by COVID, Parker County rodeo back on

Once canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse will hold its annual Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event Tuesday through Saturday at the PCSP Arena in Weatherford.

“We talked about a backup (week) in September, but that was a week before our Ranch Rodeo, and we didn’t think it would be good to have rodeos in back-to-back weeks,” PCSP Rodeo Chairman Rick Wilson said.

Tuesday will feature the Chick-Fil-A Bulls Night Out, with competition from the PRCA Extreme Bull Riding. It and each of the remaining PRCA Rodeo nights will start with pre-rodeo activities at 7:30 p.m. and the competition at 8. Each evening will conclude with a concert from the following schedule:

▪ Tuesday: Wynn Williams

▪ Wednesday: Jon Wolfe

▪ Thursday: Chris Colston

▪ Friday: Josh Ward

▪ Saturday: Kolby Cooper

The rodeo was originally scheduled for mid-June, but it will still feature about 750 contestants, Wilson said.

“That’s quite a bit more than we’ve had in the past,” he said. “The majority of rodeos scheduled have been shut down — not here in Texas, but nationally — and those guys have to make a living.”

Wilson assured that all precautions will be taken to follow COVID-19 safety protocol during the week.

“Our arena is big with lots of stands, and we’re going to make sure everybody keeps their distance. And we’re going to keep an eye on what the governor says,” he said. “We may have a rodeo with no spectators.

“But if people do come out we’re going to encourage them to use common sense, wear masks, wash their hands, use sanitizer. Looking out for people is our No. 1 thing. Come out and have a good time, but only if you feel safe and only if you can be safe and use common sense.”

Tickets for the rodeo range from $10-$20. Visit www.pcsp.net.