CULLMAN – Three days of cowboy action came to a close as the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Jimmy Arrington Memorial Rodeo concluded in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center Saturday evening. Almost every space was filled in the 1,300-seat stands, with additional floor seating. Spectators filled gaps, standing where they could and repeatedly being asked to move away from the rails around the arena floor for their own safety.
A special needs exhibition mini rodeo on Thursday was followed by two evenings of pro competition in bareback riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing and bull riding. This event concluded the 2017 season for the Professional Cowboy Association. (Note: a source had previously reported to The Tribune that this was the kickoff event for the 2018 season, but this was not the case.)
Also during Saturday’s event, the sheriff’s office raffled its highly sought-after prizes:
–A custom handmade saddle valued at $1,600 went to Spencer Reynolds.
–A Stoeger 3500 12-gauge shotgun in Realtree camouflage went to T.J. Baker.
–A Thompson Center Venture Predator .308 bolt action rifle in Realtree camouflage went to L. Hancock.
The CCSO also gave away a $300 pair of earrings in an (almost) no-holds-barred ladies envelope scramble.
The rodeo is the primary fundraising event for the CCSO, as Sheriff Gentry explained, “This is the biggest fundraiser we have at the sheriff’s office. We give it back to the special needs kids and the children in our community in the schools. Then, this year, we bought vest carriers (external bullet-resistant ballistic armor) for all the deputies, to make sure they’re protected. And it supports all of our community events like Citizens’ Academy and our firearm training. That’s how we’re able to do all those things for free for the community, and it doesn’t cost anybody anything.
“I can’t thank all the deputies enough,” he continued. “The deputies are donating their time, working tirelessly. They’re not turning in overtime to do this. They’re doing it on their own. And the deputies are the ones who make it happen.”
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